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.[4]
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.[5]
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.
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.
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.[9] This time, Afghanistan prevailed with a 2–0 victory, claiming their first-ever international football title and marking a historic moment for Afghan football.[10]
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.[11] On 27 April 2015 the AFF signed a contract with a new sponsor called Alokozay Group of Companies.[12][13]
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.
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.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20]
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.
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.[22]
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.[22][23][24][25]
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.
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1 (10 July 2025) [2] 
Afghanistan 0–0 Iran 
Bhutan 1–8 Afghanistan 
Turkmenistan 11–0 Afghanistan 
