AFC president Shaikh Salman congratulates Afghan football

The Asian Football Confederation president Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has congratulated the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) for successfully hosting their first international football game in a decade.

Afghanistan defeated neighbours Pakistan 3-0 in a friendly match at the newly-built AFF Stadium yesterday. This was their first international game at home after 10 years following their 2-0 loss at the hands of Turkmenistan in a 2006 FIFA World Cup – Asian qualifiers.

“The success of this match shows that football is a catalyst to bring peace. This also proves Afghanistan’s return to normalcy after decades of war,” said Shaikh Salman.

“This game was symbolic for the South Asians and confirms football’s power to promote positive relationship between neighbouring countries.”

The AFC President also praised AFF for their efforts in organising the eight-team Afghan Premier League saying it will boost the game’s popularity in the country.

“The AFF has been very active to develop the game and I would like to congratulate all the stakeholders of football in Afghanistan for their role in promotion and development of the game,” he added.