Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kabul: National team captain Haroon Amiri believes Afghanistan will adjust to life in the Asian Football Confederation's Central Zone where they have continental powerhouses such as Iran and Uzbekistan for company.
During January's Extraordinary Congress in Melbourne, the AFC approved the division of the South and Central zone into two separate entitites, with the new Central zone consisting of Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The reorganisation also signals the beginning of the end for Afghanistan's participation in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship which they won in 2013. This year’s edition is set to be their last campaign.
"The 2015 SAFF Championship will be the last one we will be playing," Amiri told Goal.com.
"Maybe the first or the second year (in the new Central zone) will be hard, but we will be ready after that.
"It is similar to when we joined SAFF (back in 2005). The first two years were very difficult for us, then after that we became champions also. So, it's all about hard work. We believe in ourselves."
Having defeated India 2-0 in the final of the 2013 SAFF Championship in Nepal to claim their first regional title, Afghanistan, who recently unveiled German Slaven Skeledzic as their new head coach, are set to defend their crown later this year in India.