August 18, 2007	Saturday	Sha’aban 4, 1428

LAHORE, Aug 17: Afghanistan’s women football team arrived on Friday in Islamabad to take part in the ongoing National Women Football Championship at Islamabad’s Jinnah Stadium.

The touring side has been placed alongwith Pilot FC, Diya Women FC and Young Rising Star Blue in Group-D.

“We have some very good women footballers of international standard and hope they will do very well in the future,” said Afghan team’s chief coach Abdul Saboor Walizada. Football has regained its popularity in the war-ravaged Afghanistan.”

Founded in 1933 and affiliated to FIFA in 1948, Afghanistan football has been overshadowed by its political turmoil. The national team played its first match in 1941 and was last seen on the international stage in 1984 during the qualifying competition for the Asian Cup. In fact, the side did not play a competitive international match since 1984 until the 14th Asian Games in Busan, Korea in 2002.

“Afghanistan formed a women’s soccer federation in 2004 and besides that, women are taking part many sports such as boxing, volleyball, basketball and taekwondo,” said Walizada.

The only international exposure of Pakistani women was in May 2006 when they participated in Women’s Football Futsal Championship in Jordan.—APP