KABUL (SW): Former German footballer Otto Pfister from the city of Cologne has been appointed to coach the Afghan National team for one year on Sunday.
The 79-year-old has a vast experience of coaching football in the developing world. He has promised to lift the status of the Afghan side. Karamudin Kareem, President of the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) announced this alongside a number of other scuffles at the coaching level.
Former national player Anosh Dastageer has been appointed as the deputy coach while the national team’s former goalkeeper Mansoor Faqiryar has been appointed as goalkeeping coach. Faqiryar also announced his retirement from international football as a player. Ali Askar was assigned as the manager while Mustafa Meherzad secured the position as the coordinator of the national squad.
President of the AFF expressed optimism that the new coach with his vast experience would prove handy for the Afghan side. He particularly pinned hopes on Otto Pfister for helping Afghanistan qualify for the Asian Football Championship.
On his part, the new coach said he was happy to accept the ‘challenge’ of coaching the Afghan team. He noted to have a number of plans for the improvement of the squad. Otto Pfister played as striker for a number of German clubs from 1950s till mid-1970s. He has been involved in Association football for almost 60 years; he began his coaching career in Switzerland as player-coach in 1961 at the age of just 23.
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