Panaji: Ashley Westwood was in Qatar for the Asian Cup early this year and carefully took notes during India’s games, all of which they lost. Seated next to him was national team defender Haroon Amiri.
Westwood, now the Afghanistan national team coach, has previously spent considerable time in India and won a major trophy during each of his hugely-successful first three years at Bengaluru FC.His understanding about Indian football is better than most foreign coaches
Now, as Afghanistan and India meet in home-and-away clashes in the Fifa World Cup 2026 qualifiers, Westwood’s homework may not be enough as the hosts are left with just four players from the full-strength squads that played, and won, the playoffs against Mongolia.
Eighteen players have since then boycotted the national team, protesting the “substandard treatment” by the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF). The players have alleged that senior officials have been misappropriating funds that are supposed to be invested in developing football in the country.
According to sources, only three players – midfielder Rahmat Akbari, Omid Popalzay and Mosawer Ahadi – have now returned to the national team, while influential players like captain Farshad Noor, his predecessor Faysal Shayesteh, and Southend United’s Noor Husin have not changed their boycott stance.
“Afghanistan are forced to field a much-weakened side,” a source told TOI. “India should be clear favourites for both the away and home clash.”
If Afghanistan have any advantage, it will be playing at Abha, their home venue at 2,470 metres above sea level, in Saudi Arabia.
“We got down to work straightway in Saudi Arabia,” Stimac said on Sunday. “The idea was to get the boys loose after a long flight and get them acclimatised to the altitude as much as possible. Since our match will kick off at 22:00 here (due to Ramzan, the holy month for Muslims who fast from dawn to dusk), we have moved our daily schedule forward a few hours so that players can adjust their biorhythm accordingly.”
Afghanistan have lost both their games against Qatar (1-8) and Kuwait (0-4) and are at the bottom of the four-team pool.
India on the other hand are third due to their inferior goal difference, after an away win against Kuwait and a home defeat against Qatar (0-3). A top-two finish will guarantee progression to Round 3 of the qualifiers, something that India have never achieved before.
India’s home clash against Afghanistan will be in Guwahati on March 26.
Westwood, now the Afghanistan national team coach, has previously spent considerable time in India and won a major trophy during each of his hugely-successful first three years at Bengaluru FC.His understanding about Indian football is better than most foreign coaches
Now, as Afghanistan and India meet in home-and-away clashes in the Fifa World Cup 2026 qualifiers, Westwood’s homework may not be enough as the hosts are left with just four players from the full-strength squads that played, and won, the playoffs against Mongolia.
Eighteen players have since then boycotted the national team, protesting the “substandard treatment” by the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF). The players have alleged that senior officials have been misappropriating funds that are supposed to be invested in developing football in the country.
According to sources, only three players – midfielder Rahmat Akbari, Omid Popalzay and Mosawer Ahadi – have now returned to the national team, while influential players like captain Farshad Noor, his predecessor Faysal Shayesteh, and Southend United’s Noor Husin have not changed their boycott stance.
“Afghanistan are forced to field a much-weakened side,” a source told TOI. “India should be clear favourites for both the away and home clash.”
If Afghanistan have any advantage, it will be playing at Abha, their home venue at 2,470 metres above sea level, in Saudi Arabia.
“We got down to work straightway in Saudi Arabia,” Stimac said on Sunday. “The idea was to get the boys loose after a long flight and get them acclimatised to the altitude as much as possible. Since our match will kick off at 22:00 here (due to Ramzan, the holy month for Muslims who fast from dawn to dusk), we have moved our daily schedule forward a few hours so that players can adjust their biorhythm accordingly.”
Afghanistan have lost both their games against Qatar (1-8) and Kuwait (0-4) and are at the bottom of the four-team pool.
India on the other hand are third due to their inferior goal difference, after an away win against Kuwait and a home defeat against Qatar (0-3). A top-two finish will guarantee progression to Round 3 of the qualifiers, something that India have never achieved before.
India’s home clash against Afghanistan will be in Guwahati on March 26.