Popalzay, Kouhyar, and Mousavi miss match; U-17 CAFA schedule confirmed
Kabul | By Taieb Khatizwal
The Afghanistan national football team has confirmed its starting lineup for the upcoming match against Syria, with several key players set to miss the fixture.
Midfielders Omid Popalzay and Maziar Kouhyar will be unavailable due to family-related issues, while Omid Mousavi is suspended after accumulating two yellow cards during the group stage.
Despite their absence, officials confirmed that all three players are expected to return for upcoming matches.
Starting Lineup vs Syria:
Kiwan Nateqian
Mahboob Hanafi
Omid Arzoo
Naveed Mahboobi
Ahmad Shakeeb Mehri
Ali Basit Nazari
Masour Ahadi (Captain)
Elyas Mansoor
Mohammad Zarif Arefi
Sayed Aref Akbar
Alireza Panahi
Separately, the schedule for the 2026 CAFA U-17 Championship has been announced, with Afghanistan set to face Kyrgyzstan (April 6), Turkmenistan (April 7), Uzbekistan (April 9), and Tajikistan (April 11).
The developments highlight both the immediate challenges facing the senior national team and the continued focus on youth competition at the regional level.