New Delhi: There was very little known about the Afghanistan football team when the eight-nation SAFF Cup began. One week later, all eyes are on the Afghans as they gear up for a title clash with defending champions India at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday.
Afghanistan are indeed the surprise package. Some would even argue that they have been the best team in the competition, with a tournament-leading 13 goals in four matches. Having announced themselves with a 1-1 draw in their opening match against the hosts, the 178-ranked team went on to defeat Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal to enter the SAFF Cup final for the first time.
Afghanistan coach Yusuf Kargar, however, is not surprised by his team’s run. “We have been preparing for the SAFF Cup for two years now. We have planned our tactics and just before the tournament, we had a 10-day training camp in Dubai,” he says. “So we have prepared well and it’s not a surprise for us. We have worked hard to reach here.”
Coming from a country known for violence rather than sporting success, and where funds and facilities are limited, the ‘Lions of Khorasan,’ as the team has been dubbed, have impressed with their free-flowing style of football.
“We have been improving consistently as a team for 3-4 years now,” says Kargar. “We have focused on our academy and our junior teams have also done well in the recent past. This is just the start for us. We hope to do better in the future.”
What has also helped Afghanistan is the experience of their overseas players. Seven members of 20-man squad ply their trade in clubs in Norway, Germany and the USA, while the captain Haroon Fakhruddin plays for Mumbai FC in the I-League.
However, Kargar is quick to point out that a lot of home-grown players have also played an equal part in Afghanistan’s success. “All our players don’t play abroad. Only about 30 percent play outside the country. Every year there is a tournament of Afghans living outside, and I go to look at the players to decide who to select for the team,” he says.
At the same, he admits, “We have benefited from their presence in the team. Our two strikers have especially been doing very well, which is good for the team.”
Of those, it is Balal Arezo who caught the eye the most. The 22-year-old, who plays for FC Asker - a second-division club in Norway - is the tournament’s joint top-scorer with six goals going into the final.
“Balal is our main player and he has been with the team for two years. His experience really helps us. He will be key for us in the final also,” says Kargar.
Like Balal, Sunil Chhetri of India also has six goals and has played a crucial part in India’s progress. However, Kargar does not have any definite plans to stop the in-form striker.
“We will not target any specific player, whether it is Chhetri or anyone else. We will focus on the system that we want to play against India. We want to focus on our own game, not worry about the opposition or their players,” he says.
“We have seen at least three or four games played by India and observed their tactics. We were underdogs coming into this tournament, but they also knew nothing about us beforehand. They had not seen a lot of our games. Now we have seen some matches and so we have a game plan for the final.”
Asked about his side’s chances, Kargar said, “India are a very strong side. They have very good players and have the home advantage. But we are physically much stronger and possess better stamina. The match against Nepal (the semi-final which went into extra time) showed that. These boys also know how to handle pressure as they have the experience of playing in European clubs. Both teams will be going for the win. Whichever team plays better on the night and take its chances, will win.”
Irrespective of the final result though, Afghanistan have given plenty of joy already, both to their supporters back home and to fans in India. And, as with most things in the strife-torn country, it hasn’t been easy. In fact, a bomb blast in Kabul on Tuesday killed more than 50 people, which included four family members of one of the team’s players, Mustafa Madar.
“Our county has been through a lot of trouble with the war. The day we heard about the blast, we had a prayer in the team meeting that morning and everyone had tears in their eyes. It was difficult to prepare mentally for the game,” says skipper Fakhruddin. “The coach just told us to go out there, play, score as many goals and win for those who lost their lives and their families, not for ourselves.”
In 2010, it was the Afghanistan cricket team that won hearts in the ICC World Twenty20. This time around, the football team will be hoping to go a step further and earn accolades on the field as well.
“There are many problems back home. This tournament means a lot for us. It will give a boost to football in Afghanistan. On Sunday, we will be playing for our pride and not any rewards,” says Kargar.
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