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LENIN THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2014 SPORTS World Cup 2022 the ultimate goal for Afghanistan LONDON: The 2022 World Cup in Qatar has been prise teams from all 34 of Afghanistan’s provinces world. “Football had a long history in Afghanistan clubs have sent 140 coaches to 25 countries in Asia, beset by controversy, but for the visionaries bring- and an eight-team tournament staged over 45 days before the Taliban destroyed everything. The FA was the Americas and Africa but it is fair to say that one ing soccer back to life in Afghanistan it represents a in Kabul at the end of the season. formed in 1922, we joined FIFA in 1948, and took of the biggest challenges in many ways was shining, magical light at the end of a very long and As well as attracting regular capacity crowds at part in the London Olympics that year. Afghanistan and our coaches are doing a brilliant dark tunnel. both the Ghazi and Kabul stadiums, the eight teams “Now we are rebuilding and it is special that educational job helping bring Afghan football back “It is an almost impossible dream, but our dream were formed in a unique way when the tournament cricket is rebuilding too. It is part of the normalisa- to life.” The Ghazi stadium returned to life as a sports is that Afghanistan, an Asian nation, takes part in an started in 2011. tion of the country and at last things are moving in arena in 2008 and the nightmares of the public exe- Asian World Cup in Qatar in eight years time,” Sayed Kate Hodgkinson, the English Premier League’s the right direction.” cutions that took place there are slowly receding. Ali Reza Aghazada, the general secretary of the International Development Manager, explained the Afghanistan were absent from FIFA and Asian Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF), told Reuters. process. “In the first season the host TV broadcaster PREMIER LEAGUE confederation congresses for years, but are now re- “It might be beyond us, we might not be able to set up an X-Factor style TV show with the general The Premier League have played a role in help- integrated into the global football family, to the make it happen, but the fact we can even talk about public voting for which players would play in which ing the sport move forward in the country by delight of Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan, the this shows just how far we have come in a very team. That’s how they got the public involved, it organising coaching courses with Afghans. Asian vice-president on the FIFA executive commit- short space of time. “Even if we fail to make those was popular and it worked.” These are held in Dubai rather than Afghanistan tee. The Afghan federation is now benefiting from finals, just to take part in qualifying for the World Things have now moved on to such a degree for security reasons on the advice of the British FIFA grants and help from the AFC’s Asian Football Cup, and to see our sport progress and develop that Afghanistan clinched the South Asian Football Council’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Development Project (AFDP), while Prince Ali told technically would be a huge success for us after soc- Federation (SAFF) Championship last year, having Jeremy Weeks, the head coach of the league’s Reuters he was delighted the English FA had con- cer virtually died in our country.” finished runners-up in 2011. Premier Skills unit, has witnessed the astonishing tributed so much to the Afghan cause. “They have The sport has been reborn after wars, upheaval On their way to the title, they won four of their transformation these courses have brought about. helped enormously, with grass roots and women’s and the Taliban regime plunged the nation into five matches, including a 2-0 victory over six-time “We basically started with those interested in coach- football too,” he said. despair. To all intents and purposes, there was no champions India in the title decider in Kathmandu, ing but otherwise with little or no idea of what “Afghanistan are doing things their way and organised soccer in Afghanistan for almost 30 years Nepal. “The scenes in Kabul after we won were like coaching meant,” he said. went out and beat India to win the SAFF title last and the national team did not play a match from nothing I have ever seen before,” said Sayed Ali “Most of the players who could play went to play year, which was amazing. It is very positive they are 1984 until 2002. Kazemi, the president of the AFF’s Youth in Iran or India, but that is changing now and they focused on Qatar 2022 as their ultimate goal. “I wish Committee. are staying to play in Afghanistan and the coaching them well, they have overcome all the threats, they UNIQUE VOTE “The war was forgotten, the Taliban was forgot- is improving all the time with dramatic impact. have survived, and that should make us all very Today there are state championships which com- ten, people rejoiced like fans anywhere else in the “Over the years a total of 27 Premier League proud.” —Reuters Casillas’s fall from grace highlights divisions at Real MADRID: When Iker Casillas triumphantly hoist- ed the Henri Delaunay Cup aloft in Kiev after Spain claimed a second consecutive European crown in 2012, he could scarcely have believed that within two years he would be roundly whis- tled by fans at Real Madrid’s Bernabeu stadium. Born and bred in the Spanish capital and a product of the club’s academy, goalkeeper and captain Casillas has been singled out by some supporters following a stuttering start to La Liga. They first vented their anger during Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat to city rivals Atletico Madrid after Casillas was beaten at a corner by a Tiago header and the whistling continued dur- ing Real’s thumping 5-1 victory over FC Basel in Tuesday’s Champions League Group B opener. To be sure, there were plenty of fans in the giant arena who clearly still worship “Saint Iker” Liverpool’s English midfielder Steven Gerrard (right) celebrates in this file photo. and immediately the whistles rang out they were generally drowned out with warm Liverpool face challenge applause. Casillas was also given an ovation when he to revive fluent form produced one of the miraculous saves that earned him his moniker and in recent years LONDON: Without the departed Luis Suarez and However, Liverpool clearly face a struggle to underpinned Spain’s glorious six-year run at the injured Daniel Sturridge, Liverpool returned to find their former fluency with the more static, if top of the world game. Nonetheless, he remains under a cloud and the Champions League with a win but face a chal- statuesque, Italian at centre-forward in lieu of the SPAIN: Real Madrid’s goalkeeper Iker Casillas stops the ball in this file photo. lenge to recover the free-scoring form that put swift incisive scissor-cutting combinations pro- under pressure from Real’s new keeper Keylor them back among the European elite. vided by Suarez and Sturridge at their best. Navas, who starred for Costa Rica at the World Madrid where fans celebrate the club’s titles to but has become a target for fans who are clearly A last-minute penalty converted by captain Suarez, who scored 31 Premier League goals, and Cup finals in Brazil while Casillas had a torrid mark his decade and a half in the first team. unhappy with his form and perhaps blame him, Steven Gerrard, after Dani Abalo had levelled for Sturridge, who netted 21 times, revelled in time as holders Spain failed to make it past the at least in part, for the downfall of Mourinho. Bulgarian champions Ludogorets, following an angled running and sharp-passing interplays, group stage. Exactly why some Real fans have HERO STATUS Christian Panucci, who had a three-year stint exquisite 82nd minute opener by Mario Balotelli, often involving Brazilian playmaker Philippe lost faith in Casillas - local media has been full of So how could a player who has spent his playing with Casillas at Real in the late 1990s, gave Anfield reason to cheer on Tuesday. Reality, Coutinho and roaming 19-year-old England conspiracy theories - is difficult to fathom and entire professional career with Real and helped defended his former team mate and noted that however, soon quelled any fears of uncontrolled winger Raheem Sterling. piling blame on the keeper for the club’s poor win a host of trophies lose his untarnished hero it was not the first time the home fans at the optimism as manager Brendan Rodgers and Without the Uruguayan’s movement and pre- start in La Liga is manifestly unfair. status in so little time? Bernabeu had criticised one of their own. Gerrard both called for improvement if any cision, Liverpool’s attack appeared predictably But as well as the division among the sup- The beginning of his fall from grace can be dreams of the club’s halcyon days in Europe are to focused on Balotelli’s dependable but less expan- porters, there has been a steady stream of traced back to a fractured hand he suffered WHISTLES INTO APPLAUSE be revived. sive leadership which made it more difficult for reports of dressing room splits and Casillas’s when Real defender Alvaro Arbeloa accidentally Club legends including Alfredo Di Stefano “We are not yet at the level we were last sea- the midfield to find moving targets with their team mates and coach Carlo Ancelotti were less kicked him during a King’s Cup game at Valencia and Zinedine Zidane were targeted when results son, but we will get there,” said Rodgers.