SAFF Championship: Afghanistan thrash Sri Lanka 3-1, show India match was no fluke

Afghanistan continued their dream run in the SAFF Championship 2011. In the opener they drew 1-1 with mighty India after going ahead in just 5 minutes of play. And now they came from behind to beat Sri Lanka with a convincing margin of 3-1.

The star of the match for Afghanistan was Sanjar Ahmadi who netted 2 goals for them while Ata Yamir Ali netted the 3rd one. But Mumbai FC recruit Haroon Fakruddin again showed that MFC team management was right in choosing him. His speedy through runs rattled SL defense and also yielded the 1st goal when he passed the ball through to Arezo who then gifted it to Sanjar. His first touch was good enough to find the target.

Haroon again was the artist behind the 3rd Afghan goal when his excellent corner kick found Ata Ali who completed the scoreline.

Afghanistan, the lowest ranked team in the SAFF was not even given a thought by anyone and was just considered to be completing the group. The players are amateurs and most of them have alternative jobs to earn their livelihood. Many of them are the ones who have left their war-ravaged homeland in search of a peaceful life. The Afghan federation struggled to get them together before the tournament and they arrived only a day before the tournament. With little facility to talk about and no time to prepare as a team. They drew their 1st match against India. Before anyone  could term it as a fluke, they proved themselves by thumping Sri lanka 3-1 today.

Now Afghanistan have emerged as one of the 3 contenders of the tournament along with India and Nepal. And if anything that can come into their way apart from these 2 teams, it would be their fitness as being amateur players they are not into the habit of playing in pact schedule.