APL

Regional tournaments across Afghanistan have set the expectations very high for the kick-off of the fourth season of the Roshan Afghan Premier League (RAPL). Regional tournaments are the main selection forum for selecting the top 26 players for each of the eight teams competing in the 2015 RAPL Main Event.

The four day regional tournament to select De Maiwand Atalan players took place in Helmand's Football Stadium from May 5th to May 8th. De Maiwand Atalan represent the southern region of Afghanistan and include players from Helmand, Kandahar, Nimruz, Zabul, Uruzgan, and Farah provinces. Teams from all the six provinces competed in this regional tournament and the list of final 26 players which will form the De Maiwand Atalan team was released on May 9th.

Previously Farah province was represented in the western zone to form Toofan Harirod. This was the first time Farah province had competed in the southern regional tournament and their best players were recruited for the Atalan. This change is expected to give De Maiwand Atalan an advantage to put up a better fight for this season’s title, than they did for the previous season's.

Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) officials and the team’s international coach from Uzbekistan, Usman Toshev, were impressed by the performance of the teams and players in this tournament and they undertook the difficult job of selecting the 26 best players. This regional tournament was welcomed and celebrated with full excitement and joy by the hardcore football fans in the stadium coming from all of the six provinces to witness the competition closely. Players who made the team were overwhelmed by happiness and those who did not left the tournament disappointed. However, the young men that did not make the cut would not allow their dream to fade and kept hope alive of giving their best in the next year’s regional tournament. It is fair to say that this tournament has set the standard very high for other regional tournaments to follow.