Afghanistan U-15 Recover from Russia Defeat to Beat Sudan 3–1

Afghanistan's under-15 national football team defeated Sudan 3–1 in Baku on Monday, 26 October, recording their third victory at the FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival 2026.

The win came after a difficult run of two consecutive defeats, including an 8–0 loss to Russia earlier on Monday.

Afghanistan finished the group stage with three victories and two defeats from five matches, earning nine points.

Recovery after two defeats

The Afghan youngsters opened their campaign with a 2–1 victory over Sierra Leone on 24 October and followed it with a 3–2 win against Djibouti the next day.

Their winning start ended with a 4–3 defeat against Türkiye, before Russia inflicted an 8–0 loss in the fourth group match.

Afghanistan responded against Sudan, scoring three goals and conceding one to close the group stage with a victory.

According to subsequent tournament reporting, Afghanistan finished third in Group AE, behind two teams that had defeated them.

More matches ahead in Baku

The FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival features teams from 189 member associations and runs from 24 to 30 October in Azerbaijan.

The tournament uses an eight-a-side format with two 20-minute halves, designed to give young players more opportunities to compete internationally.

Under FIFA's format, teams continue playing after the initial group stage in competition tiers determined by their results.

Afghanistan's next opponents and match times were not specified in the available result report.