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The Guardian
27-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘Getting worse and worse': former Afghanistan captain's anger at state of football in his country
When Zohib Islam Amiri came back to play in Afghanistan in January for the first time since 2010, he was hoping to make a difference. 'I wanted to try to give some of the young Afghan kids some inspiration,' he says. 'But as soon as I got there it was clear that things were even worse.' Amiri, who made his international debut as a 15-year-old in 2005 before serving as captain for more than a decade, became the first Afghanistan player to move overseas when he joined Mumbai in 2011. The defender's return to play for Abu Muslim in the Afghanistan Champions League – a competition set up in 2021 when the Taliban regained power – was never intended to be the end of his career. But having seen his side crowned champions after a controversial 8-0 victory amid allegations of match-fixing, Amiri decided enough was enough. The target of his anger is the president of the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF), Mohammad Kargar. 'President Kargar is still putting all the money in his own pockets and not investing in the grassroots,' Amiri says by way of example. Kargar denies this but for Amiri there is no turning back. 'The motivation is not there,' he says. 'For the last 20 years I've had this hope that maybe we can change something for the next generation. But when you see every year it's getting worse and worse … my energy and power has gone, to be honest. I've given everything for the country and to see what has been happening to our football under Kargar's leadership is very sad.' Kargar, a former player and coach who was national champion in skiing as a teenager, took over as president of the AFF in January 2019 when his predecessor, Keramuudin Karim, was banned from football for life by Fifa after being accused of sexual abuse. Kargar has denied claims of fixing two matches during an international men's tournament in 2008 in Malaysia in his spell as Afghanistan coach and has been accused of corruption as president, including claims first made in the Guardian last year that the AFF had been misappropriating funds intended for investment in developing football in the country. He and the AFF deny the allegations. Twenty-one players went on strike for the World Cup qualifiers at the start of 2024 against Qatar and Kuwait that Afghanistan lost heavily under the English coach Ashley Westwood. He lasted only nine months despite recording a historic victory over India before drawing the return match with the Asian champions, Qatar. 'But then Kargar thought maybe it's a little risky to have an outsider involved and he decided to get rid of him,' says Amiri, who worked closely with Westwood and helped out with some of the coaching during the former Crewe and Sheffield Wednesday defender's spell. Amiri alleges that after last June's 0-0 draw against Qatar in Saudi Arabia – where Afghanistan have been playing since the AFF signed a deal last year for the country to host their home matches – the players were paid only a fraction of the bonuses promised six months earlier. 'Kargar came to tell all the players that they [the AFF] had $60,000 and we would get $500 each whenever the money comes through,' he says. 'The months went by and we didn't see any money so we asked what was happening. Kargar came up with lots of excuses about how it had been delayed. We played our game against Qatar and the next day he gave us $100 each. We could not believe it. For the last year when the other boys boycotted the team, then I realised what had been going on. Sometimes when you're a player, you don't know what is happening in the background. But when Ashley came in I started getting more involved with coaching and I was shocked to see what was going on.' There have been claims that some AFF staff have not been paid their salaries for the past three years, Fifa having been unable to provide its full allocation of funding from its Fifa Forward programme since 2023 owing to banking restrictions and the political situation under the Taliban. Kargar has insisted that the AFF remains independent, but sources inside Afghanistan believe the Taliban has taken a close interest in the federation's affairs over the past three years. 'No one in the AFF can move without order of the Taliban,' says one. 'They are involved in everything. Some of the provincial federation presidents have been suspended because they did not accept their orders.' Amiri says: 'Kargar is playing clever games. He sends emails to Fifa telling them not to hold new elections because it's not safe under the Taliban. But then on the other hand he is staying close to the Taliban to keep hold of his power. Fifa has to investigate.' Kargar has denied all allegations of corruption and said in a reply to a series of questions from the Guardian that 'individuals spreading these reports are pursuing their personal interests and are outside the country, unaware of the realities within Afghanistan'. He also said that the AFF has had 'no interference' from the Taliban. 'From the beginning, we have explained to the Taliban that the AFF is a non-governmental entity operating under the regulations of Fifa and AFC [the Asian Football Confederation],' he said. 'The Taliban has officially issued a letter stating that they support Afghanistan's football activities. This letter has also been shared with Fifa and AFC.' A Fifa spokesperson said: 'Fifa is continuing to monitor the situation very closely and remains in contact with the Afghan Football Federation and other stakeholders.' Amiri, having hung up his boots at 37, is completing his coaching qualifications in the United Arab Emirates as he begins the next stage of his career and has called for elections to decide whether Kargar should remain in power. 'As a former Afghanistan captain, I have to speak up about what is going on,' he says. 'We have to fix this. If I don't do this now then how can I look myself in the mirror when I'm older knowing that I didn't take action? I'm a servant of the country and I don't want to see someone destroying everything in our football. The other boys have tried but nothing has changed. All we can hope is that Fifa will listen to us and try to help. We have to have an election.'
CBC
26-03-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Former Afghan women's soccer captain fights for team's chance to compete in World Cup
Khalida Popal, the former captain of Afghanistan's national women's football team, is making a call to the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) to allow Afghan women to participate in the 2027 Women's World Cup. "It has been more than three years that I've been sending emails with the support of different organizations, to get [a] response from FIFA, to get FIFA on board, to collaborate with us," Popal told As It Happens host Nil Köksal. Football's world governing body requires the Afghanistan women's national football team to receive recognition from the Taliban controlled Afghanistan Football Federation in order to participate. But under the Taliban's oppressive regime, this is not possible, says Popal, who founded the team and now acts as its program and event director. If FIFA does not revise its regulations, the team will miss out on the 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup Qualifiers draw, happening March 27, which feeds into qualification for the upcoming World Cup. It'll mark the second time they've missed the opportunity to join the World Cup qualifying cycle since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021. Following advocacy by players and allies, FIFA did send a letter on March 21 to the Sports & Rights Alliance, a human rights coalition that has been advocating for the team's recognition. Popal says she draws some hope from FIFA's letter because it mentioned developing a plan to offer football opportunities for Afghan women both inside and outside the country. But it did not specify whether FIFA intends to officially recognize the team or how the funding would be distributed. Another barrier they're facing for the women's team to play in the Asian Cup Qualifiers, is FIFA's concern that the games are played in countries that are not safe for Afghan women, says Popal. Popal, who stopped playing in 2011 to focus on coordinating the team as a director at the Afghanistan Football Association, says she hopes they can still qualify for the World Cup through a wild card that will give them exceptional access. Exiled from Afghanistan After Afghanistan was seized by the Taliban, the regime imposed decrees that severely restricted the rights of women and girls. Girls over the age of 12 have been banned from receiving an education, and women are prohibited from participating in any sports. Popal was forced to seek asylum in Denmark in 2016 after receiving threats to her life, and she also assisted dozens of others in escaping. WATCH / Khalida Popal on the implications of Taliban's take-over: 'I feel sad for my people': former captain of Afghanistan's women's soccer team 4 years ago Duration 6:42 The former captain of Afghanistan's national soccer team, Khalida Popal, says she feels sad for her people who will experience 'another dark period of Taliban.' She urges the international community to speak up and not let the women of Afghanistan feel abandoned by the world. She says there are now hundreds of Afghan women football players of all ages who are dispersed around the world after escaping persecution. Even as they work to rebuild their lives in exile abroad, Popal says they remain ready and eager for the opportunity to represent Afghanistan on the international stage. More than football Popal says having Afghan women compete in FIFA is about more than just asserting their right to play football. It's a way for Afghan women to ensure the plights they're facing are not forgotten by the world. "For us, football is our tool. It's our power," said Popal. She says it gives them the platform to share how the Tablian is "erasing women from the society." As well, if they are able to play on the world stage, it will send a message of hope for Afghan women in Afghanistan. "You are not forgotten. You are seen and you are heard," Popal said. That motivates Popal to continue her advocacy.
The Guardian
18-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Afghan club disbands after alleging match-fixing in champions' 8-0 win
A club that missed out on winning Afghanistan's top division on goal difference has disbanded in protest at what it says is the national federation's failure to properly investigate allegations of match-fixing. Attack Energy were dissolved after Abu Muslim Farah were crowned champions for the first time in a competition set up in 2021 when the Taliban regained power. Attack Energy led the Afghanistan Champions League for most of the way and have raised questions about Abu Muslim's 8-0 victory against Adalat Farah in their sixth game of the 10-matchday season. Abu Muslim then drew with Attack Energy and won their remaining fixtures to take the title in January with a goal difference superior by three. It is understood Abu Muslim and Adalat are owned by the same person: Abdul Hamid Sharifi, a businessman based in the city of Farah, in the west of the country. Eight teams lodged complaints with the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) that the result had been fixed and demanded an investigation. Officials from Attack Energy, a club founded in 1947 and which competed in last season's Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge League after being crowned Afghan champions, also wrote to Fifa and the AFC to ask them to look into the claims. The AFF produced a report that concluded it was satisfied with the situation and allowed Abu Muslim's title to stand. The AFF's president, Mohammad Yousef Kargar, was accused of fixing two matches during an international men's tournament in 2008 in Malaysia. He denied those allegations. An Attack Energy statement said: 'We, at the management of Attack Energy Cultural Sports Club, have tried with all our might and hope to clarify these issues and have repeatedly called on the Afghanistan Football Federation to investigate and transparently pursue cases related to injustice and collusion. However, unfortunately, we did not receive any convincing response and no action was taken towards transparency and justice. 'This disregard for the legitimate demands saddened the hearts of all football and sports lovers. In such circumstances, it became impossible for our club to continue on its path, and the club's leadership, after extensive consultations and careful evaluation, was forced to make a painful decision: to dissolve the Attack Energy Cultural Sports Club.' It also said: 'What happened in the fourth season of the Afghan Football Champions League was bitter and unfortunate; facts that are clear and undeniable to everyone. We hope that these events will be a serious warning bell to reform and improve the country's football structure so that such sad days will not be repeated.' A Fifa spokesperson said they could not comment on 'allegations they may or may not have received, or whether investigations are under way into alleged cases'. It is understood that world football's governing body is unable to intervene when allegations of match-fixing are made in domestic competitions. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion Kargar told the Guardian in a statement: 'If there is any complaint regarding this matter, the relevant committees, such as the judicial committee, referees committee, and match commissioner, will address it. Based on the investigations conducted, no match-fixing has taken place.' Sharifi did not respond to a request for comment.
