Afghanistan national football team
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| Nickname(s) | Lions of Khurasan (شیران خراسان) other nicknames |
|---|---|
| Association | Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) |
| Confederation | AFC (Asia) |
| Sub-confederation | CAFA (Central-Asia) |
| Head coach | vacant |
| Captain | Faysal Shayesteh |
| Most caps | Zohib Islam Amiri (55) |
| Top scorer | Balal Arezou (9) |
| Home stadium | Ghazi Stadium (25,000) |
| FIFA code | AFG |
| FIFA ranking | |
| Current | 151  5 (12 January 2017)
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| Highest | 122 (April 2014) |
| Lowest | 204 (January 2003) |
| Elo ranking | |
| Current | 170 (October 2016) |
| Highest | 167 (May 2014) |
| Lowest | 207 (17 November 2010) |
| First international | |
 Afghanistan 0–0 Iran  (Kabul, Afghanistan; 25 August 1941) |
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| Biggest win | |
 Bhutan 1–8 Afghanistan (New Delhi, India; 7 December 2011) |
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| Biggest defeat | |
 Turkmenistan 11–0 Afghanistan  (Ashgabat, Turkmenistan; 19 November 2003) |
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The Afghanistan National Football Team (Dari:تیم ملی فوتبال افغانستان), also known as the Lions of Khurasan, is the national football team of Afghanistan and is controlled by the Afghanistan Football Federation. Founded in 1933, and played their first international game against India in Kabul, 1941. Afghanistan then joined FIFA in 1948 and the AFC in 1954, as one of the founding members. They play their home games at the Ghazi National Olympic Stadium in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. In 2013, Afghanistan won the 2013 SAFF Championship. Afghanistan also earned the "FIFA Fair Play Award" in 2013.
Formed in 1933 and affiliated to FIFA since 1948, the Afghanistan Football Federation was one of the founding members of Asian Football Confederation in 1954. The first football club established in the country, Mahmoudiyeh F.C., was founded in 1934. Three years later the team traveled to India and took part in 18 games of which they won 8, lost 9 and drew 1. The second football club founded was Ariana Kabul F.C. which was established in 1941. This team traveled to Tehran, Iran upon invitation, played 3 games, winning one game and losing two.
Afghanistan's only appearance and first FIFA international match was at the Olympic Games football tournament in the 1948 Summer Olympic Games when they played Luxembourg on 26 July 1948 and lost 6–0. Prior to 2002, Afghanistan was last seen on the international stage during 1984 AFC Asian Cup qualification, with its last match lost 6–1 against Jordan on 20 September 1984. Afghanistan played no international games from 1984 to 2002, due to the latter years of Soviet war in Afghanistan, Civil war in Afghanistan (1992–1996), and the Taliban regime.
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