Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — With stadiums reclaimed from executioners of the ousted Taliban regime, Asian soccer officials want to restore links with Afghanistan and bring it back into the sport.
"We are delighted to note the huge following football enjoys among the masses in Afghanistan despite the war and the ban imposed on it earlier," said Peter Velappen, secretary general of the Asian Football Confederation. "The AFC would like to take advantage of this fact and play a role in using football to unite the country."
Sports were largely outlawed by the Taliban, Afghanistan's former hardline Islamic rulers who declared games to be frivolous and non-Islamic. Women were banned from taking part in sports and strict dress codes and other rules were imposed.
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