Afghanistan face Kyrgyzstan in soccer friendly

KABUL will take on Kyrgyzstan in a football friendly match on Sunday in Dubai as part of their preparations ahead of next month’s AFC Challenge Cup in the Maldives.

Afghanistan found themselves in Group B alongside Turkmenistan, Laos and the Philippine for the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup, after the draw was conducted Wednesday, at the Paradise Island Resort in the Maldives.

National football team coach Yousuf Kargar said the friendly match would help select talented players among the 23 probables including two goalkeepers — Mansor Faqiryar and Hamidullah Yusufzai.

The preliminary side also includes Farzad Atayee, Muqdar Qazizada, Mujtaba Faizi, Jalaluddin Sharyiatyar, Massoud Hashimi, Islamuddin Amiri and Mustafa.

“The practice match is aimed to improve coordination with Kyrgyzstan and help better prepare the Afghan team,” he said, adding the friendly encounter had been offered by the Football Federation of Kyrgyzstan.

The coach said his side was fully prepared for the match and he was optimistic his team would win.

The Afghan team underwent a tough training course ahead of today’s match that is scheduled to begin at 6:20pm Kabul time and will be shown on two local TV channels.

The 2014 AFC Challenge Cup, the last of its kind, will start from May 19 until May 30 and the winners will earn a berth in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup.

mds/ma

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