Afghanistan’s national football team is embarking on its World Cup qualifying campaign, marking their return to the international stage since the Taliban regained power. Head coach Abdullah Al-Mutairi aims to rally his team and prioritize football amid the political complexities surrounding their homeland.
Afghanistan, a nation that has never come close to World Cup qualification, is vying for a spot in the second round of Asia’s preliminaries for the 2026 finals. However, they face an array of challenges.
The security situation in Afghanistan prevents the team from playing in front of their home fans. Consequently, they are playing their ‘home’ leg in neighboring Tajikistan before facing Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar in the return match.
Al-Mutairi, the Kuwaiti coach, commented on the misperceptions surrounding his team since the Taliban’s return to power, stating, “Everyone is thinking all of us are monsters, but this is not true. You cannot judge all of the people because of one or two, or because of the political situation. We are only a football team. It’s so difficult, but we try our best.”
Their match against Mongolia is one of ten fixtures taking place across the continent, involving the lowest-ranked nations in the confederation. The winners will progress to the second-round group phase, which includes seeded nations like Japan and Australia. The ultimate victor will face 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar, along with India and Kuwait, with the top two finishers advancing to the next phase of qualifying.
Al-Mutairi’s vision for his team extends beyond the World Cup. He aims to qualify for the 2027 Asian Cup, demonstrating resilience and unity within a diverse squad. Al-Mutairi noted, “We try to show everyone in the team that we have the same pain. We are humans. It’s not important about background, your culture, where you sleep, where you are resident, where you play. It is not important. The most important is we have the same blood, Afghanistan blood. This you cannot change, even if you have another passport, even if you were born outside and have never been to Afghanistan before. None of this is important. What is important is the team plays for the country. Before it was a big problem but now we’ve solved it.”
As Afghanistan steps onto the pitch, they strive to transcend the tumultuous backdrop and focus on their shared love for football and their nation’s pride.
