Afghanistan suffer 2-1 defeat in opening match, with Hasibullah Amiri scoring the lone goal ahead of Turkmenistan clash.
Tashkent | by Sara Amiri
Afghanistan’s U-17 national football team began their campaign in the 2026 Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Championship with a 2-1 defeat against Kyrgyzstan.
Hasibullah Amiri scored the only goal for Afghanistan in a closely contested match, but the team was unable to overturn Kyrgyzstan’s advantage. The result places early pressure on the Afghan side as they look to recover in the group stage.
Afghanistan will now turn their focus to their second match, scheduled for Tuesday, where they will face Turkmenistan in a crucial fixture to keep their tournament hopes alive.
The CAFA U-17 Championship 2026 is being hosted by Uzbekistan in the capital Tashkent, featuring five participating nations. The tournament began on April 5 and will run until April 14, providing a key platform for youth development and regional competition in Central Asian football.