Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Vientiane: Afghanistan will make a return to AFC Challenge Cup finals after six years as the 10-man South Asian side defy all the odds to grab a brilliant 1-1 draw in the group C action of the AFC Challenge Cup 2014 qualifiers against Laos to qualify in the tournament proper.
Afghanistan topped Group C with seven points and are qualified for the finals alongside with Palestine, Myanmar and hosts Maldives. The remaining two group winners and best runners-up will be decided at the end of this month.
Laos striker Khampheng Sayavutthi put them on course of an automatic qualification after he opened the home side’s account in the 30th minute.
Matters went worse for the Afghans when Kuwait referee Ali Shaban showed Afghanistan captain Jelaluddin Shrityar second yellow card of the match in the 41st minute to force the Afghan play for just less than an hour with 10 men.
However, striker Sandjar Mohammed Ahmadi scored a match saving goal in the 58th minute and the Afghanistan defenders were brave enough to keep the pressure from the huge home supporting crowd at the Laos National Stadium as well as numerically superior Laos as no further goals were scored.