Afghanistan’s national football team suffered a 5–1 defeat to Syria on Tuesday in an Asian Cup qualifying match in Jeddah, as a strong second-half performance by Syria overwhelmed the Afghan side.
The two teams were level at 1–1 at halftime after a relatively balanced opening period. Alireza Panahi scored Afghanistan’s only goal, while goalkeeper Keyvan Motaghian kept the score level by saving a penalty.
Syria took control in the second half, scoring four unanswered goals to secure a decisive victory.
Afghanistan struggled to contain sustained attacking pressure after the break, despite a more competitive showing in the first half.
The loss follows Afghanistan’s earlier defeat to Myanmar in the qualifiers, adding pressure on the team as it seeks to remain competitive in the group.
