KABUL: Afghanistan’s victorious football team met President Hamid Karzai at his palace yesterday to receive official congratulations for their 3-0 defeat of neighbouring Pakistan.
Karzai praised the players for their slick dispatch of the visitors, which triggered celebrations across a war-torn country starved of international sporting action.
Tuesday’s game was Afghanistan’s first home international since they played Turkmenistan in 2003.
The Pakistan team also attended the reception the day after the match, which was watched by a noisy 6,000-strong sell-out crowd in the Afghan capital.
Pakistan Football Federation secretary Ahmed Yar Lodhi hailed the match, the first between the two sides in Kabul since 1977.
“Despite the one-sided loss I think Pakistan have initiated a football diplomacy,” Lodhi said.
“Win or loss are part and parcel of the game, but I think the goodwill this match has generated will go a long way.”
A return fixture had been planned for December, but Lodhi said it was now likely to be postponed to March or April.
Meanwhile, Asian Football Confederation President Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has congratulated Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) for successfully hosting their first international football game in a decade.
“The success of this match shows that football is a catalyst to bring peace. This also proves Afghanistan’s return to normal life after decades of war,” said Shaikh Salman.
“This game is symbolic for the South Asians and confirms football’s power to promote positive relationship between neighbouring countries.”agencies
