Several footballers withdraw from national team ahead of upcoming fixtures

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) has announced that several players called up for the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers against Myanmar and Syria have withdrawn from the national team for various reasons.

In a statement, the AFF said all eligible players — including domestic-based footballers and those playing abroad — had been officially invited to join the national squad for the upcoming fixtures.

However, it expressed regret that some of the invited players declined to join the team for different reasons.

“Most of these players had initially confirmed their availability to represent Afghanistan against Myanmar and Syria, but withdrew from their decision at the last moment,” the statement said.

While acknowledging the personal circumstances of the players, the federation stressed that representing the national team is a national responsibility and a great honour, and players are expected to prioritise their country under such circumstances.

Meanwhile, head coach Jose Antonio Nogueira said in response to the issue: “After the next two matches, we will focus more on domestic players in Afghanistan. Our plan is that in the future, most of the national squad will be selected from deserving players in the country, in order to build a motivated, committed and available team.”

The federation also thanked supporters for their continued backing and assured that efforts to strengthen and rebuild the national team would continue, with future decisions taken in line with the long-term interests of Afghan football.

hz/sa