APL

The official draw for Afghanistan's first ever nationwide football premier league will be announced Tuesday night after two months of selecting players for the eight teams, Afghan Football Federation (AFF) officials said Monday.The draw will divide the eight teams into two groups of four for the group stage of the Roshan Afghan Premier League's (APL) inaugural 16-match season.The competition will kick off with the first match on September 18 and end October 19 with the Grand Final in Kabul's Afghan Football Federation stadium."The league will improve the quality of football in Afghanistan and will help to have a professional and well-trained national team in the future," the National Football Team head coach Yousuf Kargar told TOLOnews.AFF officials reassured that there will be tight security at the live matches so spectators can watch the games at the ground without any security issues."The families can watch football from the ground in a secure environment," AFF deputy head, technical, Mohammad Yasin Mohammadi said. "Football has found fans within the families and they can let their kids play football."The eight teams were selected during July and August from eight zones across Afghanistan: Greater Kabul, Centre, North East, North, South East, West, South West, East.The selection process for each 18-man team was broadcast nationwide in the reality programme 'Maidan e Sabz' (Green Field).Thousands of young men registered and attended try-outs for one of the top 30 spots in each zone. Those 30 men were then put through a series of physical and mental football skills tests, with their performance judged by former Afghan national team players and coaches. The group was further reduced down to 21 players.The final 18-player team for each zone was voted on by a Green Field studio audience.The league is fully supported by the international football federation FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) with all games played in accordance with the official FIFA and AFC rules and regulations, the AFF said.All APL matches will be broadcast on Moby Group* television channels TOLO TV and Lemar and radio stations Arman FM and Arakozia FM, as well as being available via cable TV, and online coverage. Follow the competition via www.afghanpremierleague.com.