Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Vientiane: A solitary Babal Arezou strike helped Afghanistan record a 1-0 victory over Sri Lanka in the opening fixture in Group C of the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup qualifiers.
Arezou scored on the stroke of half-time at match played at the Laos National Stadium and his goal proved to be the winner with the inaugural AFC Challenge Cup runners-up unable to find their way back into the match in the second period.
The victory put Afghanistan in pole position ahead of Laos and Mongolia, who played out a 1-1 draw in Saturday's other Group C encounter.
The Afghans will be looking to take a step closer to reaching the tournament proper for the first time since 2008 when they take on Mongolia on Monday, while Group C hosts Laos face Sri Lanka on the same day.