Afghanistan’s national under-20 football team has departed Kabul for Tajikistan to compete in the Central Asian under-20 championship.
The tournament, organized by the Central Asian Football Association, is scheduled to begin Sunday in Dushanbe, the Tajik capital, and will continue through May 20 with teams from across the region participating.
The Afghanistan squad is expected to open its campaign against Turkmenistan on Tuesday.
The team will then face Uzbekistan on Wednesday, host nation Tajikistan on Friday and Kyrgyzstan the following Sunday, according to the federation’s schedule.
The competition is part of a broader effort by Central Asian countries to strengthen youth football development and regional competition.
Afghanistan’s football sector has continued to participate in regional and international tournaments despite the country’s political and economic challenges since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
While men’s national teams have remained active internationally, women’s football in Afghanistan has collapsed under Taliban restrictions on women’s sports and public participation.
Afghanistan’s youth teams have historically struggled against stronger regional football programs such as Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, but football remains one of the country’s most widely followed sports besides cricket.
