The Afghanistan national futsal team kicked off their AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 campaign in impressive fashion, defeating Saudi Arabia 3-0 in their opening Group D match at the Jakarta International Velodrome.
kabul 24: This convincing victory marks a strong start for the Afghan side in a tough group that also includes Iran and Malaysia.
It highlights the significant progress Afghan futsal has made at the continental level.From the early minutes, Saudi Arabia applied high pressure and created the first major chance in the 2nd minute, but Afghanistan’s experienced goalkeeper Jawad Safari produced an excellent save to deny a powerful shot.
Afghanistan responded with quick counter-attacks through Omid Qanbari and Reza Hosseinpour, though both efforts were stopped by Saudi keeper Hamoud Al-Dahan.
The first half remained intense and closely contested, with Safari again thwarting Saleh Al-Qarni, while Al-Dahan handled attempts from Seyed Hossein Mousavi and captain Akbar Kazemi.
The breakthrough came in the dying seconds of the first half: Reza Hosseinpour’s shot was initially saved by Al-Dahan, but he followed up to slot home the rebound, giving Afghanistan a 1-0 lead at halftime.
In the second half, Afghanistan maintained their intensity. Kazemi nearly doubled the lead, but his strike hit the post. Safari made another crucial save from close range against Mohammad to keep the clean sheet intact.
The second goal arrived in the 28th minute, with Hosseinpour once again capitalizing in a similar fashion to make it 2-0 and earn him star-of-the-match honors for his brace.
Late in the game, Saudi Arabia pulled their goalkeeper in favor of an outfield player (power play) to chase the result, but it backfired. Omid Qanbari calmly finished into the empty net for the third goal, sealing a 3-0 triumph.
This result sends a clear message: Afghanistan is no longer just a participant but a competitive and dangerous force in Asian futsal. The win boosts morale ahead of their next Group D clash against Malaysia on Friday.Fans in Afghanistan can watch all matches live on Ariana Television.
A fantastic opening display by the team—well done to the players, coach, and staff!
