Afghanistan’s national football team is set to face Syria in an Asian Cup qualifying match on Tuesday, the country’s football federation said.
The game is scheduled to begin at 8:45 p.m. Kabul time, with the team currently based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where players held their first training session on Monday.
Afghanistan lost its first match in the tournament against Myanmar.
The match comes amid a wave of withdrawals from the national squad. Ten players declined to participate in upcoming fixtures against Myanmar and Syria, according to a previous statement from the federation.
The reasons cited included family issues, security concerns in the Middle East and injuries sustained at club level.
Those who withdrew include Habibullah Askari, Owais Azizi, Abdul Najm Haidari, Mohammad Naeem Rahimi, Jabar Sharza, Faisal Ahmad Hamidi, Jamshid Achakzai, Omid Arzoo, Tawfiq Sikandari and Ramin Safi.
Despite the absences, the team has proceeded with preparations for the qualifier, which is part of the pathway to the Asian Cup.
