The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Afghanistan’s national football team is set to face Pakistan on Wednesday in the final of a four-nation tournament in the Maldives.
The Afghanistan Football Federation said in a statement that several national team players left the training camp ahead of the final match.
According to the federation, Jamshid Achakzai and Habibullah Askar departed the camp due to work-related issues in Sweden and concerns about losing their jobs. Team captain Omid Popalzay, who was suspended for the final after receiving a red card in the previous match, also left the camp.
Additionally, Rahmat Akbari reportedly exited the camp in the Maldives last night after arranging his travel without coordination with the technical staff.
Despite these setbacks, Afghanistan is scheduled to take on Pakistan in the highly anticipated final at 8:30 p.m. local time, a match that holds significant importance for fans.
The Afghanistan Football Federation expressed appreciation to the players who remained with the squad and called on supporters to back the national team through their prayers and encouragement.
The match comes at a time when Afghanistan’s football team is seeking to strengthen its regional standing, with recent tournaments providing key opportunities to build experience and cohesion despite ongoing challenges.
