APL

The 2015 Roshan Afghan Premier League (RAPL) main event is less than a month away and fans are eager to see the teams hit the field. Several of the teams have arrived to Kabul including De Maiwand Atalan and Spinghar Bazan who are looking to get in some extra training sessions before the remaining teams arrive and the tournament begins.

The first team to arrive is De Maiwand Atalan which consists of players from Kandahar, Nimroz, Helmand, Zabul, and Orozgan. The team is led by their captain Sayed Baqir who was invited to travel with the national football team following his astounding performance in the 2014 RAPL tournament.

De Maiwand Atalan have been improving every season since the inception of RAPL in 2012. Last season they were able to advance to the semi-finals but lost to Oqaban Hindukush in a thrilling penalty shootout. With their surprising performance last season, they have gained the attention of opposing teams as a squad not to be reckoned with.

I visited the team yesterday to get to know the new players and see how things were panning out during their first couple days in Kabul. When I asked them how they felt about their team this season, I saw a slight smirk on their faces. They seemed very optimistic yet humble at the same time. “I know other teams have acquired new talents this year, such as Simorgh Alborz the Nawroz tournament champions, but I am confident we will win it all this time around” said Murtaza Jaffari.

Maiwand Atalan are the team to watch out for this year. Will they be able to pull through and win their first championship this year?