Michel Platini, the President of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), arrived in Kabul on Sunday to visit with officials from the Afghan Football Federation (AFF) following Afghanistan's historic win against India to claim the country's first ever international tournament win in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Cup.
Celebrations in Kabul and elsewhere around the country were heard around the world when they erupted after the Afghan national team beat India 2-0 in the SAFF final on September 11. The victory marked a new chapter in Afghan football history, which brought pride and hope to a country beleagured by over a decade of war, but it also turned the international spotlight on football in Afghanistan.
Mr. Platini, a 58-year-old former international French footballer, met with Karamuddin Karim, the head of the AFF, and promised to extend all possible support to the AFF in promoting professional football in Afghanistan.
"We have a good connection with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). We have a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to help the national associations of Asia and we will begin with Afghanistan. We feel very proud to be in Afghanistan," said Mr. Platini.
Meanwhile, the officials of the AFF welcomed Platini's plans for promoting football and said that it is a big move for improving football in Afghanistan.
"The recent achievements of the Afghan team, especially the SAFF victory signifies that we have improved our skills and we will perform better in the future. The support from the UEFA is very important," said Karamudding Karim.
The Roshan Afghan Premier League (RAPL), as the first national football association league in Afghanistan, has been heralded as a major step in developing opportunities for aspiriing footballers in Afghanistan and giving regular Afghan's access to sports entertainment in a way that while common in much of the world has never been see before in Afghanistan.
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UEFA President Announces Support to AFF
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