Afghan Cup 2007

In many ways, it was like any other weekend soccer tournament. There was the players’ palpable excitement, families cheering the teams on, younger children dragged along with little interest in the soccer, but happy to play with their friends. But in one crucial way, this soccer tournament was very different: everyone involved was Afghan.

The tournament was called the Afghan Cup and it was the 10th year such an event has taken place. The final of the tournament took place last Sunday outside of Washington, DC, but it was just one part of a weekend of festivities that at times resembled a family reunion more than a sporting event. Below, you will find some pictures of the Afghan Cup 2007 final interspersed with the thoughts of several attendees.

The game pitted Breshna of New York against Afghan United of the San Francisco area. Other teams at the tournament came from Michigan, other parts of California, New Jersey, and even Toronto. These teams came from so far away for the soccer and also for the fellowship. While all the teams play together in local leagues, this is a unique opportunity for them to play against and connect with their countrymen.

The two teams (Breshna in orange, Afghan United in blue) intermingled for the pre-match photo. Notice also the Afghan flag flying behind the goal.

Fans from these states (and Canada) accompanied the teams to the tournament. The stands were completely full on one side of a 3,000 seat stadium. Wais came from Virginia to watch the game and said he was surprised to see at the large turnout, saying, “I didn’t know we had that many Afghans.”

In addition to fans watching the game, there were many who milled around outside the stadium. A man who gave his family name of Ghafoory said he didn’t know much about soccer, but had come because “I feel good and happy because I’m with Afghans.” He said he had come to reconnect with old friends, many of whom he hadn’t seen since leaving Afghanistan. During the game, young children took the opportunity to make new friends.

The play on the field was at a good level. If there was any lack of skill, players made up for it with an excess of intensity. Players dove into tackles whole-heartedly, goalkeepers berated defenders for their mistakes, and coaches bit their fingernails on the sidelines. Yet there was only one potential flash point throughout the closely fought game. When a Bresha midfielder objected to a tackle made by an opponent and appeared ready to mete out his own justice, players from both teams acted quickly to calm him down and defuse any tension. It was an example of the spirit of the game, which valued fellowship as highly as winning.

An observer not aware of the particular nature of the game would have had few clues to pick up on the fact that it was part of the Afghan Cup. There were some tip-offs, however, including the fact that some players covered their legs while playing (see my previous post, which included an incident in Afghanistan in which players were accused of dressing in an un-Islamic fashion).

Before the final, there were several other games, including one involving girls (a first). 13 year-old Fatima started playing 6 months ago and when asked how she liked soccer, responded simply: “Awesome.” Fatima wears a hijab when she plays, as do several teammates on her all-Afghan team from New Jersey. When she plays with non-Afghans, though, she says she has been asked about her head covering. “When they ask me, I say it’s my religion,” she says. Her father approves. He says that he is happy that his daughter has begun playing soccer and that she wears a hijab while doing so. “She’s a good religious girl,” he adds.

The game remained scoreless until around the 80th minute, when Afghan United scored. The goal sent their fans, many of whom had come from California, into a state of delirium, more intense than the response I’ve seen at some MLS games.

The game finished 1-0 to Afghan United, who successfully defended the crown they had won last year. The end of the game brought handshakes and congratulations all around. Although Afghan United were clearly happy to have won, the true success of the tournament was bringing together so many Afghans.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 10th, 2007 at 9:50 pm and is filed under Asia, North America. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.