Afghanistan joins India in FIFA World Cup, Asian Cup joint qualifiers

Afghanistan's national football team has secured a spot in the second round of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and AFC Asian Cup 2027 joint qualifiers, and their journey now aligns with that of India, setting the stage for an exciting showdown between these two nations. 

In their first leg match, the Afghan team defeated Mongolia through a 60th-minute goal from Jabar Sharza, sealing a 1-0 victory for Afghanistan. 

However, an incident involving Abdullah Al-Mutairi, the Afghanistan head coach, added an intriguing subplot to the story. With 51 minutes remaining for the kick-off of the second leg, Al-Mutairi refused to sign the match sheet and insisted on declaring a 0-3 forfeit in favour of Mongolia.

Several key players, including Farshad Noor, Faysal Shayesteh, and Noor Husin, expressed their dissatisfaction with Al-Mutairi's role as the head coach of the Afghan national football team as they believe that Al-Mutairi's coaching knowledge fell short and that his training methods were not up to par. Al-Mutairi was sacked before the game as a forfeit was not an option for Afghanistan.

Farshad Noor emerged as the hero for Afghanistan in the closely fought match in Ulaanbaatar at the MFF Stadium, breaking the deadlock in the 71st minute and securing a 1-0 victory. This win ensured their spot in the next round alongside India.

While Afghanistan celebrated their journey to the next round, it is not the only SAFF nation celebrating its achievements. Pakistan also secured its place in the second round for the first time by defeating Cambodia 1-0 in Islamabad. Former India coach Stephen Constantine is currently in charge of the Pakistan team.

Now, Afghanistan and India will continue their journey in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers, alongside formidable teams such as Qatar and Kuwait.