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Afghanistan national football team

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This article is about the men’s team. For the women's team, see Afghanistan women's national football team.

Afghanistan
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nicknameشیر های خراسان (The Lions of Khorasan)[1]
AssociationAfghanistan Football Federation (AFF)
ConfederationAFC (Asia)
Sub-confederationCAFA (Central Asia)
Head coachVincenzo Annese
CaptainSharif Muhammad
Most capsHaroon Amiri (71)
Top scorerFaysal Shayesteh (10)
Home stadiumGhazi Stadium
FIFA codeAFG
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 162 Steady (19 January 2026)[2]
Highest122 (April 2014)
Lowest204 (January 2003)
First international
 Afghanistan 0–0 Iran 
(Kabul, Afghanistan; 25 August 1941)
Biggest win
 Bhutan 1–8 Afghanistan 
(New Delhi, India; 7 December 2011)
Biggest defeat
 Turkmenistan 11–0 Afghanistan 
(Ashgabat, Turkmenistan; 19 November 2003)
CAFA Nations Cup
Appearances2 (first in 2023)
Best resultGroup stage (2023)
SAFF Championship
Appearances7 (first in 2003)
Best resultChampions (2013)
Medal record
Men's football
SAFF Championship
Gold medal – first place 2013 Nepal Team
Silver medal – second place 2011 India Team
Silver medal – second place 2015 India Team

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.[4]

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.[5]

History

Early history

Afghanistan national football team in the 1920s

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. 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.[6]

2001–2010

Match scene between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan in a FIFA World Cup qualification match in Kabul, 2003

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.[7] 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.[8]

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.[9]

2014 FIFA World Cup qualification

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

Players are celebrating after winning their 2011 SAFF Championship Semi-final against Nepal

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 Arzou scoring in the 101st minute. In the final, they lost 4–0 to India.

2012 AFC Challenge Cup qualification

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

See also: 2013 SAFF Championship Final
2013 SAFF Championship Final starting lineup on 11 September 2013, in Dasarath Stadium (Kathmandu, Nepal).
Hamidullah Karimi with the SAFF Championship trophy after their win against India

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.[10] This time, Afghanistan prevailed with a 2–0 victory, claiming their first-ever international football title and marking a historic moment for Afghan football.[11]

2014 AFC Challenge Cup

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.

2018 FIFA World Cup qualification

Afghan national team before the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Japan, Azadi Stadium

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.[12] On 27 April 2015 the AFF signed a contract with a new sponsor called Alokozay Group of Companies.[13][14]

2015 SAFF Championship

See also: 2015 SAFF Championship Final

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.

2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification

Afghan supporters watching their national team play against Japan during 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification in Azadi Stadium, Tehran.

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.[15][16][17][18][19][20][21]

2023 and 2025 CAFA Nations Cup

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 10-20 June.[22] Afghanistan lost both games in Group B to Iran and Kyrgyzstan. Thus, finishing in last place in the tournanemnt.

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 is scheduled against Tajikistan on 1 September. Afghanistan's third and final match in Group B is scheduled against India is on 4 September.

Team image

Kit suppliers

Kit manufacturer Period
Germany Adidas 2005–2008
Denmark Hummel 2009–2020
Germany Jako 2020–2023
India SIX5SIX 2024–present

Rivalries

Further information: Afghanistan–Pakistan football rivalry

Afghanistan shares a sporting rivalry with Pakistan, which extends into football alongside other sports. In earlier decades, regular matches were held between the two national teams. However, diplomatic ties were severed following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, and years of civil war and political unrest prevented any further encounters until their football rivalry resumed in 2003.[23]

Due to the deep historical, cultural, and political ties between the two nations, matches against Pakistan are highly anticipated and passionately followed by Afghan supporters. While the rivalry holds strong emotional significance in Afghanistan, interest in the fixture—and in football in general—tends to be less intense in Pakistan.[23][24][25][26]

Results and fixtures

Main article: Afghanistan national football team results

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2024

19 November 2024 (2024-11-19) Friendly Tajikistan  3–1  Afghanistan Dushanbe, Tajikistan
18:00 UTC+5
Report
Stadium: Pamir Stadium

2025

21 March 2025 (2025-03-21) Friendly Thailand  2–0  Afghanistan Bangkok, Thailand
20:00 UTC+7
Report Stadium: Rajamangala Stadium
Attendance: 10,219
Referee: Razlan Joffri (Malaysia)
25 March 2025 (2025-03-25) 2027 Asian Cup qualification Myanmar  2–1  Afghanistan Yangon, Myanmar
17:00 UTC+6:30
Report Report (AFC)
Stadium: Thuwunna Stadium
Attendance: 6,500
Referee: Yahya Al-Balushi (Oman)
10 June 2025 (2025-06-10) 2027 Asian Cup qualification Afghanistan  0–1  Syria Hofuf, Saudi Arabia[note 1]
20:15 UTC+3 Report Report (AFC)
Stadium: Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Sport City
Attendance: 532
Referee: Yousif Saeed Hasan (Iraq)
29 August 2025 2025 CAFA Nations Cup Iran  3–1  Afghanistan Hisor, Tajikistan
17:00 UTC+5
GSA Report
Stadium: Hisor Central Stadium
Attendance: 4,520
Referee: Sanzhar Zhakypbekov (Kyrgyzstan)
1 September 2025 2025 CAFA Nations Cup Afghanistan  0–2  Tajikistan Hisor, Tajikistan
20:30 UTC+5 GSA Report
Stadium: Hisor Central Stadium
Referee: Zayniddin Alimov (Kyrgyzstan)
4 September 2025 2025 CAFA Nations Cup Afghanistan  0–0  India Hisor, Tajikistan
17:00 UTC+5 GSA Report Stadium: Hisor Central Stadium
Attendance: 1,100
Referee: Nurzatbek Abdıkadırov (Kyrgyzstan)
9 October 2025 (2025-10-09) 2027 Asian Cup qualification Pakistan  0–0  Afghanistan Islamabad, Pakistan
14:00 UTC+5 Report
Report (AFC)		 Stadium: Jinnah Sports Stadium
Attendance: 7,375
Referee: Mohammed Al-Shammari (Qatar)
14 October 2025 (2025-10-14) 2027 Asian Cup qualification Afghanistan  1–1  Pakistan Farwaniya, Kuwait
18:00 UTC+3 Hanifi 5' Report
Report (AFC)		 Hussain 29' Stadium: Ali Al-Salem Al-Sabah Stadium
Attendance: 750
Referee: Abdullo Davlatov (Tajikistan)

2026

31 March 2026 (2026-03-31) 2027 Asian Cup qualification Syria  v  Afghanistan TBD
--:--  Stadium: TBD

Coaching staff

Current coaching staff

Role Name
Head coach Italy Vincenzo Alberto Annese
Assistant coach Afghanistan Shabir Isoufi
Goalkeeping coaches Afghanistan Hamidullah Yousufzai
Equipment manager Afghanistan Mahdi Shirzad
National Team manager Afghanistan Samir Homauni
Media Afghanistan Mustafa Hashimi
Fitness coach Italy Alin Dragos Hogea

Manager history

As of 30 August 2025
Caretaker managers are listed in italics.
Name Period P W D L Win % Ref.
Unknown 1941–1948
Afghanistan Sardar Mohammad Farooq Khan Seraj 1949 [27][28]
Unknown 1950–1974
Soviet Union Vladimir Salenko 1975–1976
Soviet Union Sergei Salnikov 1976–1977
Soviet Union Nikolai Yefimov 1977–1978
Afghanistan Islam Gul 1978–1979 [29]
Afghanistan Sayed Ahmad Zia Muzafari 1979–1981 [30]
India Khwaja Aziz 1981–1987
Soviet Union Gennadi Sarychev 1987–1988
None[note 2] 1988–2003
Afghanistan Mir Ali Asghar Akbarzada 2003–2004
Afghanistan Mohammad Yousef Kargar 2004–2005
Germany Klaus Stärk 2005–2008
Afghanistan Mohammad Yousef Kargar 2008–2014
Germany Erich Rutemöller 2014–2015
Iran Hossein Saleh 2015
Bosnia and Herzegovina Slaven Skeledžić 2015
Croatia Petar Šegrt 2015–2016
Afghanistan Anoush Dastgir 2016–2017
Germany Otto Pfister 2017–2018
Afghanistan Anoush Dastgir 2018–2023
Kuwait Abdullah Al Mutairi 2023
England Ashley Westwood 2023–2024 [31]
Uzbekistan Usmon Toshev 2024–2025
Italy Vincenzo Alberto Annese 2025–

Players

Current squad

The following 23 players were named in the squad for the 2025 CAFA Nations Cup.[32]

  • Caps and goals are correct as of 29 August 2025 after the match against Iran.[33]
No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Faisal Hamidi (1997-01-29) 29 January 1997 (age 28) 9 0 Afghanistan Football Federation Sorkh Poshan Herat
22 1GK Keyvan Mottaghian (2003-03-16) 16 March 2003 (age 22) 1 0 Free agent
23 1GK Eisa Azizi (2002-12-26) 26 December 2002 (age 23) 0 0 Football Australia Glenorchy Knights
4 2DF Mahboob Hanifi (1996-03-22) 22 March 1996 (age 29) 17 0 Afghanistan Football Federation Abu Muslim
21 2DF Sharif Muhammad (captain) (1989-02-15) 15 February 1989 (age 36) 31 2 Russian Football Union SKA Rostov-na-Donu
3 2DF Amid Arezou (1996-06-05) 5 June 1996 (age 29) 2 0 Norwegian Football Federation Arendal
5 2DF Rohollah Iqbalzadeh (1995-12-14) 14 December 1995 (age 30) 3 0 Norwegian Football Federation Heimdal
12 2DF Said Aref (2003-07-07) 7 July 2003 (age 22) 1 0 Free agent
20 2DF Thomas Safari (1996-05-14) 14 May 1996 (age 29) 1 0 Canadian Soccer Association Alliance Soccer Laval
2 2DF Elias Mansor (2006-11-17) 17 November 2006 (age 19) 1 0 The Football Association Millwall U21
14 3MF Nazary Zelfegar (1995-01-01) 1 January 1995 (age 31) 21 1 Afghanistan Football Federation Abu Muslim
8 3MF Rahmat Akbari (2000-06-20) 20 June 2000 (age 25) 11 1 Football Australia Gold Coast Knights
15 3MF Mohammad Naeem Rahimi (1994-04-04) 4 April 1994 (age 31) 8 0 Football Australia Bulleen Lions
16 3MF Ali Reza Panahi (2000-08-22) 22 August 2000 (age 25) 1 0 Afghanistan Football Federation Abu Muslim
13 3MF Yama Sherzad (2001-06-19) 19 June 2001 (age 24) 5 0 Swiss Football Association Prishtina Bern
17 3MF Sayed Mortaza Fatemi (1999-05-10) 10 May 1999 (age 26) 1 0 Football Australia Malvern City
10 4FW Taufee Skandari (1999-04-02) 2 April 1999 (age 26) 13 0 Afghanistan Football Federation Abu Muslim
19 4FW Omid Musawi (2001-01-01) 1 January 2001 (age 25) 16 0 Football Association of Malaysia Selangor
18 4FW Hossein Zamani (2002-01-19) 19 January 2002 (age 24) 5 1 Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zvijezda 09
7 4FW Mosawer Ahadi (2000-03-08) 8 March 2000 (age 25) 14 0 Football Association of Finland JäPS
11 4FW Maziar Kouhyar (1997-09-30) 30 September 1997 (age 28) 11 0 The Football Association Notts County
6 4FW Habibullah Hotak (2007-05-17) 17 May 2007 (age 18) 0 0 Afghanistan Football Federation Abu Muslim
9 4FW Mohammad Arezou (1988-12-29) 29 December 1988 (age 37) 28 9 Norwegian Football Federation Arendal

Recent call-ups

The following players have been called up for the team within the last 12 months and are still available for selection.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Ovays Azizi (1992-01-29) 29 January 1992 (age 33) 49 0 Afghanistan Abu Muslim v.  Tajikistan; 19 November 2024
GK Faisal Saeed Khil (2005-12-19) 19 December 2005 (age 20) 0 0 Afghanistan Abu Muslim v.  Tajikistan; 19 November 2024
DF Najim Haidary (1999-12-22) 22 December 1999 (age 26) 14 0 Netherlands VV Capelle v.  Tajikistan; 19 November 2024
DF Yahyie Shirzai (2005-05-22) 22 May 2005 (age 20) 0 0 Denmark Ishøj IF v.  Tajikistan; 19 November 2024
DF Habibullah Askar (1999-08-09) 9 August 1999 (age 26) 9 0 North Macedonia Bashkimi v.  Tajikistan; 19 November 2024
DF Amanullah Sardari (2000-08-22) 22 August 2000 (age 25) 9 0 Afghanistan Abu Muslim v.  Tajikistan; 19 November 2024
DF Siar Saadat (2003-08-21) 21 August 2003 (age 22) 4 0 Afghanistan Abu Muslim v.  Tajikistan; 19 November 2024
MF Hamed Amiri (2004-03-15) 15 March 2004 (age 21) 2 0 Afghanistan Abu Muslim v.  Tajikistan; 19 November 2024
MF Suleman Zurmati (2000-06-01) 1 June 2000 (age 25) 2 0 Sweden IF Karlstad v.  Tajikistan; 19 November 2024
MF Jamshed Asekzai Ahmad (1997-10-09) 9 October 1997 (age 28) 9 1 Sweden IFK Trelleborg v.  Tajikistan; 19 November 2024
MF Abdul Raziq Ghafoori (1997-06-11) 11 June 1997 (age 28) 0 0 Afghanistan Sorkh Poshan Herat v.  Tajikistan; 19 November 2024
MF Omid Popalzay (1996-01-25) 25 January 1996 (age 29) 42 7 Free agent v.  Tajikistan; 19 November 2024
MF Hakim Khan Niazi (2006-08-14) 14 August 2006 (age 19) 2 0 Free agent v.  Tajikistan; 19 November 2024
MF Adam Ali Rustami (2004-04-29) 29 April 2004 (age 21) 1 0 United States Greensboro Spartans v.  Tajikistan; 19 November 2024
MF Paiman Sultani (2003-10-12) 12 October 2003 (age 22) 1 0 Canada Scrosoppi FC v.  Tajikistan; 19 November 2024
FW Farhad Alizada (2005-01-26) 26 January 2005 (age 20) 3 0 Afghanistan Abu Muslim v.  Tajikistan; 19 November 2024
FW Fareed Sadat (1998-11-10) 10 November 1998 (age 27) 12 0 Indonesia Bhayangkara Presisi v.  Tajikistan; 19 November 2024
FW Moshtaq Ahmadi (1996-04-21) 21 April 1996 (age 29) 3 0 Free agent v.  Tajikistan; 19 November 2024
FW Mohammad Waris Shirzai (2008-05-05) 5 May 2008 (age 17) 0 0 Afghanistan Daudzai v.  Tajikistan; 19 November 2024
Notes
  • INJ = Withdrew due to injury
  • PRE = Preliminary squad
  • RET = Retired from the national team
  • SUS = Serving suspension
  • WD = Withdrew due to non-injury related reasons

Individual records

As of 14 October 2025[34]
Players in bold are still active with Afghanistan.

Most appearances

Zohib Islam Amiri is Afghanistan's most capped player with 71 appearances.
Rank Name Caps Goals Career
1 Zohib Islam Amiri 71 6 2005–2024
2 Faysal Shayesteh 59 10 2014–2023
3 Ovays Azizi 51 0 2015–present
4 Omid Popalzay 46 7 2015–present
5 Abassin Alikhil 41 0 2011–2022
6 Mustafa Hadid 39 2 2008–2021
7 Sharif Mukhammad 38 3 2015–present
Djelaludin Sharityar 38 1 2007–2015
9 Mustafa Azadzoy 37 3 2013–2023
10 Ahmad Hatifi 34 4 2011–2016

Top goalscorers

Faysal Shayesteh is Afghanistan's top scorer with 10 goals.
Rank Name Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Faysal Shayesteh 10 59 0.17 2014–2023
2 Balal Arezou 9 31 0.29 2011–present
3 Khaibar Amani 7 21 0.33 2015–2019
Omid Popalzay 7 46 0.15 2015–present
5 Zohib Islam Amiri 6 71 0.08 2005–2024
Sandjar Ahmadi 6 22 0.27 2011–2015
7 Hashmatullah Barakzai 5 28 0.18 2007–2014
Zubayr Amiri 5 33 0.15 2011–2022
9 Jabar Sharza 4 19 0.21 2017–present
Amredin Sharifi 4 29 0.14 2013–2023
Noraollah Amiri 4 31 0.13 2015–2021
Farshad Noor 4 33 0.12 2017–2023
Ahmad Hatifi 4 34 0.12 2011–2016

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Pos. Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
Uruguay 1930 Not a member of FIFA Not a member of FIFA
Italy 1934
France 1938
Brazil 1950 Did not enter Did not enter
Switzerland 1954
Sweden 1958
Chile 1962
England 1966
Mexico 1970
West Germany 1974
Argentina 1978
Spain 1982
Mexico 1986
Italy 1990
United States 1994
France 1998
South Korea Japan 2002
Germany 2006 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 0 13
South Africa 2010 2 0 0 2 1 5
Brazil 2014 2 0 1 1 1 3
Russia 2018 8 3 0 5 8 24
Qatar 2022 8 1 3 4 5 15
Canada Mexico United States 2026 8 3 2 3 5 14
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total — 0/23 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 30 7 6 17 20 74

AFC Asian Cup

AFC Asian Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Pos. Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA
Hong Kong 1956 Withdrew Withdrew
South Korea 1960 Did not enter Did not enter
1964 Withdrew Withdrew
Iran 1968 Did not enter Did not enter
Thailand 1972
Iran 1976 Did not qualify 6 0 1 5 3 18
Kuwait 1980 4 0 1 3 4 11
Singapore 1984 4 0 1 3 1 20
Qatar 1988 Did not enter Did not enter
Japan 1992
United Arab Emirates 1996
Lebanon 2000
China 2004 Did not qualify 2 1 0 1 2 5
Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Vietnam 2007 Did not enter Did not enter
Qatar 2011
Australia 2015 Did not qualify AFC Challenge Cup
United Arab Emirates 2019 14 4 3 7 15 34
Qatar 2023 11 1 4 6 9 21
Saudi Arabia 2027 12 3 4 5 7 18
Total — 0/18 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 53 9 14 30 41 127

Summer Olympics

Summer Olympics record
Year Round Pos. Pld W D L GF GA Squad
United Kingdom 1908 Did not enter
Sweden 1912
Belgium 1920
France 1924
Netherlands 1928
Germany 1936
United Kingdom 1948 Preliminary round 18th 1 0 0 1 0 6 Squad
Finland 1952 Did not enter
Australia 1956 Withdrew
Italy 1960
Japan 1964 Did not enter
Mexico 1968
Germany 1972
Canada 1976
Soviet Union 1980
United States 1984
South Korea 1988
1992 to present See Afghanistan national under-23 football team
Total Preliminary round 1/17 0 0 0 0 0 0 —

Asian Games

Asian Games record
Year Round Pos. Pld W D L GF GA Squad
India 1951 Fourth place 4th 2 0 0 2 0 5 Squad
Philippines 1954 Group stage 12th 2 0 0 2 4 12 Squad
Japan 1958 Did not enter
Indonesia 1962
Thailand 1966
Thailand 1970
Iran 1974
Thailand 1978
India 1982
South Korea 1986
China 1990
Japan 1994
Thailand 1998
2002 to present See Afghanistan national under-23 football team
Total Fourth place 2/13 4 0 0 4 4 17 —

AFC Challenge Cup (2006–2014)

AFC Challenge Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Pos. Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pos. Pld W D L GF GA
Bangladesh 2006 Group stage 13th 3 0 2 1 3 5 Squad Qualified automatically
India 2008 Group stage 8th 3 0 0 3 0 10 Squad 1st 2 1 1 0 1 0
Sri Lanka 2010 Withdrew Withdrew
Nepal 2012 Did not qualify 3rd 5 3 0 2 6 3
Maldives 2014 Fourth place 4th 5 1 3 1 4 4 Squad 1st 3 2 1 0 3 1
Total Fourth place 3/5 11 1 5 5 7 19 — 3/5 10 6 2 2 10 4

CAFA Nations Cup

CAFA Nations Cup record
Year Round Pos. Pld W D L GF GA Squad
Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan 2023 Group stage 7th 2 0 0 2 1 9 Squad
Total Group stage 1/1 2 0 0 2 1 9 —

SAFF Championship (2003–2015)

SAFF Championship records
Year Round Pos. Pld W D L GF GA Squad
Bangladesh 2003 Group stage 8th 3 0 0 3 0 6 Squad
Pakistan 2005 Group stage 6th 3 1 0 2 3 11 Squad
Maldives Sri Lanka 2008 Group stage 7th 3 0 2 1 5 7
Bangladesh 2009 Group stage 7th 3 0 0 3 1 7 Squad
India 2011 Runners-up 2nd 5 3 1 1 13 7
Nepal 2013 Champions 1st 5 4 1 0 9 1 Squad
India 2015 Runners-up 2nd 5 4 0 1 17 3 Squad
Total 1 Title 7/7 27 12 4 11 48 42 —
  • Afghanistan were members of the South Asian Football Federation between 2005 and 2015. As a result, they did not enter the competition between 1993 and 1999 and have not entered it since 2015.

Honours

Regional

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Afghanistan will play their home matches at a neutral venue due to the ongoing Afghan conflict.
  2. ^ From 1988 to 2003, Afghanistan didn't play any matches due to security concerns within the country.

References

  1. ^ The Lions of Khorasan: Afghanistan national football team Archived 12 November 2022 at the Wayback Machine Live Mint. Retrieved 17 April 2021
  2. ^ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 19 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  3. ^ Elo rankings change compared to one year ago. "World Football Elo Ratings". eloratings.net. 19 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
  4. ^ "History of Afghanistan national football team". Afghan-web.com. Archived from the original on 2 February 2016.
  5. ^ "SAFF Championship 2013". SAFF Championship. Archived from the original on 7 January 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
  6. ^ "Afghan Football Veterans, Experts Reflect on Sports' Growth". Tolo News. 12 September 2013. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  7. ^ "South Asian Gold Cup 2005 (Karachi, Pakistan)". Archived from the original on 24 December 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Afghanistan at AFC Challenge Cup 2008 at AFC Website". Archived from the original on 13 February 2013.
  9. ^ "South Asian Gold Cup 2009 (Dhaka)". Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  10. ^ "Faqiryar: A real football fairytale". fifa.com. 6 May 2014. Archived from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  11. ^ "Ahmadi reaping rewards for bravery". fifa.com. 22 October 2013. Archived from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  12. ^ "Skeledzic: Afghan job my greatest challenge". fifa.com. 25 February 2015. Archived from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  13. ^ "AFF Signs MoU with Alakozai Group of Companies". Archived from the original on 29 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  14. ^ "India to host 2015 SAFF Cup". Archived from the original on 29 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  15. ^ "Otto Pfister, New Mentor For Afghanistan National Football Team". 12 February 2017. Archived from the original on 13 July 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  16. ^ "Lions draw positives from defeat". TNP. 24 March 2017. Archived from the original on 10 November 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
  17. ^ "AFC Asian Cup match: AFG-VIE". AFC. 28 March 2017. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  18. ^ "Afghanistan edge Cambodia". AFC. 27 March 2018. Archived from the original on 3 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  19. ^ Team, Momtaz Dev (10 July 2018). "Afghanistan Football Federation introduces new head coach". Afghanistan Football Federation. AFF. Archived from the original on 15 April 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  20. ^ "NEC-trainer Dastgir nieuwe bondscoach van Afghanistan". Gelderlander (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 5 September 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  21. ^ "Kabul To Host Afghanistan-Palestine Friendly Football Match". ToloNews.
  22. ^ "Iran Likely to Meet Russia in 2023 CAFA Championship". Tasnim News Agency. Archived from the original on 19 March 2023. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  23. ^ a b Bezhan, Frud (21 August 2013). "Historic Soccer Match Brings Unity To Afghanistan". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Archived from the original on 5 September 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
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  33. ^ "Afghanistan". National Football Teams. Retrieved 30 August 2025.
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