AFC mini-pitches inspiring hope and spreading the joys of football

The ground-breaking scheme, at its core, has been providing greater access to top-class and fit-for-purpose facilities and creating a profound impact in all areas of development, both in the men’s and women’s game, from the grassroots, and youth to elite football.

“Despite facing extremely difficult circumstances, we are determined to provide more opportunities for football to develop in Afghanistan. 

"Facilities and access have been two of the biggest challenges for us here and the AFC mini-pitches are playing a vital role in helping us grow the game,” said Afghanistan Football Federation General Secretary Sayed Ali Reza Aghazada.

Youth footballers in the Central Zone nation are the main beneficiaries of six state-of-the-art mini-pitches built over the last three years across its capital Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif, the fourth-largest city in the country.

“Football is a powerful tool to give our people hope, to bring joy to children. These mini-pitches are some of the most utilised football facilities in the country and are becoming a focal point of football development in Afghanistan.”