KABUL (SW): Faisal Shaista, captain of Afghanistan’s national football team has urged supporters to stay by the national team under difficult times as well.
Afghanistan lost a friendly international match to Tajikistan on Sunday 0-1 while the former head coach, Croatia-born German Segret Peter has left the squad following difference with the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) over recalling former skipper Islamuddin Amiri into the national team. All these developments have casted a negative shadow on the emerging and promising Afghan team.
In a bid to overcome this, captain Shaista has asked for the fans’ support. I want to stay positive and think positive because that was always my key to success, he said in a message posted on the social media by the AFF. The preparations before the Tajikistan game were not the best preparations we had, but sometimes these things happen. Even on world level it happens often that a team has to play important match without the coach, he noted.
Shaista has underlined it is absolutely crucial to demonstrate that the national team is playing for the nation and its people. Playing for the nation is the biggest thing you can achieve as a football player, he said, adding that for every Afghan it is a dream to play in the national team and wear that red jersey. The captain added he expects the announcement of the new coach soon.
“We had many coaches come and go but the football always developed, the players became better and I expect it will keep going forward like it always did”, Shaista said.
ENDS
