The Afghanistan national football team represents Afghanistan in men's international football and is controlled by the Afghanistan Football Federation. The Afghanistan Football Federation was established in 1922 and joined FIFA in 1948. It was also one of the founding members of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 1954.
Afghanistan claimed their first international football title and marked a historic moment for Afghan football when they became champions of the 2013 tournament of the SAFF Championship.
History Early history Reports connect the Ariana Kabul club with the Afghanistan Independence football tournament hosted in Kabul in August 1941. The team played two matches, a 3–1 loss to India and a 0–0 draw with Iran. Later accounts state that Ariana's squad represented Afghanistan in the event, although the precise relationship between the club and the national selection is not fully documented.
Afghanistan played its first official international match under FIFA at the 1948 Summer Olympics, where it faced Luxembourg on 26 July and lost 6–0. The team had two unsuccessful campaigns in the 1951 and 1954 Asian Games, losing all games. In 1959, the team featured in the 1960 Summer Olympics qualification against India.
In early years, the Kabul XI team was drawn of players selected from the leading Kabul based clubs, and was often considered de facto Afghanistan national team. In August 1974, the Kabul XI toured China, playing friendly matches against local sides. The team recorded five defeats, 1–4 against China Youth, 0–2 against Beijing, 1–4 against Hubei, 1–3 against Henan, 0–1 defeat Sichuan, and won the last match of the tour by 4–3 against Shanghai Youth. In the 1970s, the team participated at the Afghanistan Republic Day Festival Cup, playing in the latter two editions as Kabul A, along with second string Kabul B. In late 1975, the team featured in the 1976 AFC Asian Cup qualification, playing against Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iraq.
In October 1976, the team played at the 1976 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament in Pakistan. In March 1979, the team played at the 1980 AFC Asian Cup qualification against Bangladesh and Qatar.
In February 1984, the team toured Kuwait for friendly matches. Before 2002, the last recorded international appearance for the team was in the 1984 AFC Asian Cup qualification, where they lost 6–1 to Jordan on 20 September. The team did not participate in international football between 1984 and 2002 due to political instability, including the Soviet invasion, civil war, and Taliban rule, which banned recreational activities such as football.
2002–2009
Following the fall of the Taliban regime, Afghanistan re-entered the international football scene in 2002.
In 2003, the national team competed in the 2003 SAFF Gold Cup, but suffered defeats in all group stage matches against India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Later that year, Afghanistan took part in the 2004 AFC Asian Cup qualification, managing a win against Kyrgyzstan but falling short after a loss to Nepal, thus failing to advance. The team also entered the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification for the first time, where they were eliminated by Turkmenistan with a 13–0 aggregate score.
In the 2005 SAFF Gold Cup held in Karachi, Pakistan, Afghanistan was defeated by the Maldives. During the inaugural 2006 AFC Challenge Cup, the team earned draws against both Chinese Taipei and the Philippines, with goals from Hafizullah Qadami and Sayed Maqsood Hashemi securing the results.
In the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification, Afghanistan was knocked out by Syria. The team participated in the 2008 SAFF Championship, where they lost to Bhutan and drew with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. However, they managed to top their qualification group for the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup but were eliminated in the final tournament after three consecutive defeats to India, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
In the 2009 SAFF Championship, Afghanistan lost all three group matches—against Maldives, India, and Nepal—with their sole goal of the tournament scored by Hashmatullah Barakzai in a 3–1 loss to the Maldives.
2010–2019 Afghanistan entered their third World Cup qualification campaign and faced Palestine in the preliminary round. The first leg was played in Tajikistan due to security concerns and ended in defeat. The second leg in Palestine ended in a 1–1 draw, with Balal Arezou scoring for Afghanistan, resulting in their elimination.
2011 SAFF Championship runners-up
In the 2011 SAFF Championship, Afghanistan achieved a dominant 8–1 victory over Bhutan, marking their second-biggest win in history. Balal Arezou scored four goals in that match. Afghanistan advanced to the semi-finals for the first time, defeating Nepal 1–0 after extra time, with Arezou scoring in the 101st minute. In the final, they lost 4–0 to India.
Afghanistan progressed from the first round of the 2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification by defeating Bhutan over two legs. In the second round, they were eliminated after losses to Nepal and North Korea, despite a win over Sri Lanka.
2013 SAFF Championship winners
Afghanistan entered the 2013 SAFF Championship as the highest FIFA-ranked team in the tournament, standing at 139th globally. They opened the competition with a dominant 3–0 victory over Bhutan, with goals scored by Amiri—regarded as one of Afghanistan's greatest players—Azadzoy, and Barakzai.
In their second group stage match, they continued their strong form with a 3–1 win over Sri Lanka, thanks to goals from Rafi, Amiri, and Barakzai.
In the semi-finals, Afghanistan faced host nation Nepal and secured a hard-fought 1–0 win, with Sandjar Ahmadi scoring the only goal in the 11th minute.
The final was a rematch of the 2011 edition against India. This time, Afghanistan prevailed with a 2–0 victory, claiming their first-ever international football title and marking a historic moment for Afghan football.
Afghanistan reached the semi-finals of the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup but lost 2–0 to eventual champions Palestine. In the third-place match, they drew 1–1 with the Maldives and lost 8–7 in a penalty shootout. On 10 June 2014, the Afghanistan Football Federation moved from the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) to the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA). Later that year, the federation received the FIFA Fair Play Award at the 2014 Ballon d'Or Gala for its efforts to promote football under difficult circumstances. On 9 February 2015, Slaven Skeledžić was appointed as head coach. The team started the qualifiers with a 6–0 loss to Syria but earned its first-ever World Cup qualification victory against Cambodia. After a poor run of results, Skeledžić resigned in October 2015. Peter Segrt took over in November and led the team to another win over Cambodia, 3–0. On 27 April 2015 the AFF signed a contract with a new sponsor called Alokozay Group of Companies.
2015 SAFF Championship runners-up
This tournament marked Afghanistan's final appearance in the SAFF Championship before moving to CAFA. The team won all its group stage matches—beating Bangladesh 4–0, Bhutan 3–0, and Maldives 4–1. In the semi-final, they defeated Sri Lanka 5–0. The final was a rematch with India, which Afghanistan lost 2–1 after extra time.
Following the SAFF Championship, Afghanistan had a chance to qualify for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup through expanded qualifiers. After a second heavy loss to Japan (5–0), they needed a win over Singapore, which they secured 2–1. The team then played friendlies against Lebanon (lost 2–0) and Malaysia (1–1 draw). In February 2017, Otto Pfister was appointed as head coach. Afghanistan drew 1–1 with Vietnam in the qualifiers, but losses to Cambodia and Jordan ended their qualification hopes. In July 2018, the federation announced a friendly match against Palestine in Kabul—their first home game since 2013.
2020–present
The 2023 CAFA Nations Cup was the first edition of the CAFA Nations Cup, the biennial international men's football championship of Central Asia organized by the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA). The event was held in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan from 10 to 20 June. Afghanistan lost both games in Group B to Iran and Kyrgyzstan, thus finishing in last place in the tournament.
The 2025 CAFA Nations Cup was the second edition of the CAFA Nations Cup. The event was held in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan from 29 August to 8 September. Afghanistan was allocated in Group B and lost their first match against Iran. Their second match was against Tajikistan on 1 September, which ended in a 0–2 defeat. Afghanistan's third and final match in Group B was against India on 4 September, which ended in a 0–0 draw.
Team image Kit suppliers Kit manufacturer Period Adidas 2005–2008 Hummel 2009–2020 Jako 2020–2023 SIX5SIX 2024–present
Supporters Afghanistan's national football team has attracted significant public support during major fixtures. In August 2013, the team's friendly against Pakistan drew a sell-out crowd for the first international match held in Kabul in a decade, with reports describing the occasion as a rare display of national unity across the country's ethnic and political divisions. Later that year, Afghanistan's victory over India in the 2013 SAFF Championship final prompted widespread celebrations in Kabul and other parts of the country.
Rivalries
Afghanistan shares a sporting rivalry with Pakistan, which extends into football alongside other sports.
The national teams of Pakistan and Afghanistan first met at the 1976 Afghanistan Republic Day Festival Cup, where the A team of Afghanistan won by 1–0, with Mohammad Saber Rohparwar scoring the lone goal on a corner kick minutes before game's end. Because of rising tensions between the two countries in the 1970s, Afghan president Mohammad Daoud Khan handed each player 5,000 afghanis as a celebration and gift for their victory. Both teams met again at the 1976 Quaid-e-Azam International Tournament the same year where Pakistan avenged by winning by the same score, with forward Afzal Qasim scoring the winning goal in the eighth minute after the kick off.
The ensuing civil war and political instability in Afghanistan prevented the two sides from meeting again until 2003. Due to the historical, cultural and political relationship between the two countries, contests between the teams generate much enthusiasm amongst football fans on account of their mutual relations and have been referred to as a "rivalry".
Results and fixtures
The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.
2025
2026
Coaching staff Current coaching staff Role Name Head coach José Antonio Nogueira Assistant coach Shabir Isoufi Goalkeeping coach Hamidullah Yousufzai Equipment manager Mahdi Shirzad Team manager Samir Homauni Media manager Mustafa Hashimi
Managerial history
Caretaker managers are listed in italics.
Name Period Sardar Mohammad Farooq Khan Seraj 1949 Unknown 1950–1974 Vladimir Salenko 1975–1976 Sergei Salnikov 1976–1977 Nikolai Yefimov 1977–1978 Islam Gul 1978–1979 Sayed Ahmad Zia Muzafari 1979–1981 Khwaja Aziz 1981–1987Kabul Times - English edition, page 3, Published: March 10, 1981 Gennadi Sarychev 1987–1988 None 1988–2003 Mir Ali Asghar Akbarzada 2003–2004 Mohammad Yousef Kargar 2004–2005 Klaus Stärk 2005–2008 Mohammad Yousef Kargar 2008–2014 Erich Rutemöller 2014–2015 Hossein Saleh 2015 Slaven Skeledžić 2015 Petar Šegrt 2015–2016 Anoush Dastgir 2016–2017 Otto Pfister 2017–2018 Anoush Dastgir 2018–2023 Abdullah Al Mutairi 2023 Ashley Westwood 2023–2024 Usmon Toshev 2024–2025 Vincenzo Alberto Annese 2025 José Antonio Nogueira 2026–
Players Current squad The following players were named in the squad for the 2026 Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament between 1–10 June 2026.
Caps and goals are correct as of 10 June 2026, after the match against Pakistan.