Afghanland.com Afghanistan Football National Soccer Team SAFF 2003

World Cup 2006 Qualifiers

Afghanistan held its first competitive soccer international in at least 25 years at Kabul stadium played in the shadow of huge portraits of President Hamid Karzai

Neighboring Turkmenistan won the game 2-0 at the Asian World Cup preliminary round qualifier

"This was a historic day for Afghanistan," said Afghan coach Ali Askar Lali.

Members of the crowd lined the edge of the pitch to pray at half time.

Added time and substitutions were signaled on a board using card and elastic bands.

Controversy surrounded Wednesday's 11-0 defeat in Ashkabad Turkmenistan, which effectively put Turkmenistan through to the 32-team Asian preliminary World Cup qualifying competition.

with the losses Afghanistan was eliminated from 2006 world Cup in Germany

"The Turkmens gave us an old bus from the border which took 24 hours to get to Ashgabat, and it had no heating, No booking had been made at the hotel and so the players slept on the floor."

He said Afghanistan may complain to FIFA, world soccer's ruling body.

19-Nov-03 [1]

16:45

Afghanistan vs. Turkmenistan

0:11

23-Jan-03 [2]

18:45

Turkmenistan vs. Afghanistan

2:0