APL

Following a thrilling round of regional tournaments across eight regional zones of Afghanistan to select the top 26 players for each of the eight RAPL teams, it is now time for the inter-squad matches to finalize the 21-man squad for each team. It will be the final test for the 26 players who have already been selected for the teams to showcase their talent and make the final cut.

Simorgh-Alborz had a strong comeback in this year’s Nawroz Tournament by defeating the RAPL defending champions Shayeen-Asmayee to grab the very first Nawroz Cup. The win surprised everyone who has been following the performance of this team for the last two years. Toofan-Harirod defeated Simorgh in the final match of the first RAPL Championship in 2012 and ever since, this team hasn’t been able to pass the group stage of the RAPL main event. Apparently, things have turned around for this team and its players as they have exhibiteda higher level of confidence on the pitch.

For players who will be participating in this tournament, this could be nothing short of a life-changing event. RAPL puts the spotlight on the players and that means more exposure and more opportunities for emerging football talents to excel in their personal and professional football lives.

In an effort to gather the nation’s top talents, the Afghanistan National Football team's coach as well as theassistant coaches has announced their commitment to evaluate players in the RAPL main event matches and invite the top tier players to the national team. The 2015 RAPL tournament is set to kick-off on August 27th and will be the biggest football event in Afghanistan.