Afghanistan Football Federation

What Afghanistan Football Federation does

The Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) is the national governing body for football in Afghanistan, overseeing men's and women's national teams across senior, U-23, U-18, U-16, U-14, and U-12 categories, plus Futsal and Beach Soccer squads. Founded in 1933 and headquartered in Kabul, AFF is a FIFA member since 1948 and a founding member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) since 1954; it currently competes under the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) after transitioning from SAFF in 2015. The federation operates through a network of 34 provincial football federations across 8 geographic zones, and runs domestic competitions including the Afghan Premier League (APL), Kabul League, Women's Championship, and Futsal League, alongside international participation in AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, CAFA, and formerly SAFF championships.

AFF's core product surface is a unified digital platform (the-aff.org) with English/Dari/Pashto localization, supplemented by official Facebook and YouTube channels and a downloadable AFF Magazine. Infrastructure services — stadium upgrades, artificial turf installation, and LED scoreboard projects — are delivered via RFP processes at venues including the AFF Stadium in Kabul and Badakhshan Stadium. The federation holds strategic development partnerships with the British Council (Premier Skills coaching program), Katib University (research and certification), and Hummel (kit supplier), along with media partners including Tolo TV, Lemar TV, and Moby Group. Notable achievements include the 2013 SAFF Championship (first international trophy) and the 2013 FIFA Fair Play Award.

Revenue is non-commercial: AFF is funded through FIFA/AFC member grants, sponsorship agreements (Hummel jerseys, Alokozay), media partnerships, and likely government support. Leadership includes President Keramuddin Karim, General Secretary Sayed Ali Reza Aghazada Sadat, and First Vice President Mohammad Yousef Kargar. A 2017 FIFA Member Associations Committee review examined AFF's electoral processes, indicating active regulatory oversight by the parent bodies.

Name

Afghanistan Football Federation

Legal name

Afghanistan Football Federation

Website

https://the-aff.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) is the national governing body for football in Afghanistan, overseeing men's and women's national teams, youth squads, and domestic competitions through a network of 34 provincial federations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

National Football Federation Governance

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

National Governing Bodies (NGBs) (MPAKAFAC)

Keywords

• Football federation governance
• National football association
• Football competition management
• Sports federation administration
• Football development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Kabul

HQ country

Afghanistan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Afghanistan Football Federation is the national governing body for football in Afghanistan, organizing domestic competitions such as the Afghan Premier League (APL), Kabul League, Women's Championship, and Futsal League, and managing men's, women's, and youth national teams (U-12 through senior). It operates through a network of 34 provincial football federations, runs AFC-aligned coaching education and referee certification programs, and develops football infrastructure including stadium upgrades and artificial turf installations.

Product overview

Afghanistan Football Federation operates a unified digital platform (the-aff.org) as its primary product, complemented by the AFF Magazine publication. The federation organizes multiple football competitions including the Afghan Premier League (APL), Kabul League, Women Championship, and Futsal League. Merchandise including official men's and women's national team jerseys are sold through a partnership with Hummel. Infrastructure development services are provided through RFP processes for stadium upgrades, artificial turf installation, and LED scoreboard projects at various stadiums.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Afghan Premier League (APL) Afghanistan's premier domestic football league featuring franchise-based teams representing different regions of the country; Toofan Harirod won Season 8. Operated by the Afghanistan Football Federation.
• Kabul League Domestic football league competition held in Kabul province, organized by the Afghanistan Football Federation for clubs in the capital region.
• Women Championship (Women's Football Tournament) National women's football championship tournament featuring teams from Kabul, Herat, Balkh, and Bamyan provinces, organized by the Afghanistan Football Federation.
• Futsal League Indoor futsal football league competition organized by the Afghanistan Football Federation for indoor football clubs.
• National Team Jerseys (Men's and Women's) Official Afghanistan national football team jerseys (men's and women's) available for purchase through the federation's merchandise partnership with international sportswear brand Hummel.
• AFF Magazine Official magazine publication of the Afghanistan Football Federation available in PDF format for download, covering federation news, national team updates, and football content (e.g., Issue #77, Issue #75).
• Coaching Education and Referee Certification Programs AFC-aligned coaching courses and referee certification programs delivered in partnership with Premier Skills (British Council), training 24 coaches per course across Afghan provinces including Nimrooz and Samangan. Covers coaching education, referee certification, and research/professional development through partner MoUs (e.g., Katib University 2018).
• National Team Programs (Men's, Women's, and Youth) Federation-managed men's, women's, futsal, beach soccer, and youth (U-12 through U-23) national team programs representing Afghanistan in FIFA, AFC, CAFA, and former SAFF international competitions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Won 2013 SAFF Championship - first ever international football trophy for Afghanistan
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• Katib UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018MoU signed for cooperation in research, education, and professional development in football and futsal. Partnership covers coaching education, football research, seminars, specialized management training, and certification programs.
• CAFA (Central Asian Football Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Member since 2015, participating in CAFA U-15 and other youth competitions against regional neighbors including Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Iran.
• SAFF (South Asian Football Confederation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Former member (2005-2015), won the SAFF Championship in 2013 and finished as runner-up in 2011 and 2015.
• AFC (Asian Football Confederation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1954Afghanistan is a founding member of AFC since 1954, enabling participation in AFC Asian Cup qualifications and access to Asian football development resources and coaching education programs.
• FIFAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1948Afghanistan Football Federation has been a FIFA member since 1948, making it one of the longest-standing international football governing body relationships in South Asia. FIFA membership enables participation in World Cup qualifications and access to development programs.
• HummelmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational sportswear brand supplying official Afghanistan national team jerseys for both men's and women's teams, as evidenced by the AFF store linking to Hummel.net for jersey purchases.
• Moby GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia and entertainment conglomerate in Afghanistan, logo appears on partners page indicating sponsorship or media partnership.
• Lemar TVminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAfghan television network, logo appears on partners page indicating media partnership.
• Tolo TVminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading Afghan television network, logo appears on partners page indicating media partnership for coverage of football events.
• AlokozayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAfghan company, logo appears on partners page indicating sponsorship support.
• AGC (Afghanistan Green Corner)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo appears on partners page indicating sponsorship or partnership relationship.
• Premier Skills (British Council)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier Skills coaching education program conducted in partnership with British Council, providing coaching courses for coaches across Afghan provinces including Nimrooz and Samangan, training 24 coaches per course.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Asian Football Confederation (AFC): Continental governing body for football in Asia. Comparable as the broader institution that AFF belongs to; provides the competition framework, development funding, and technical programs that AFF operates within.

Direct peers

• Sri Lanka Football Federation: National football federation of Sri Lanka and SAFF member. Comparable as a small South Asian federation with similar resource constraints and operating model.
• Tajikistan Football Federation: National football federation of Tajikistan and fellow CAFA member. Directly comparable as a Central Asian NGB participating in the same CAFA competitions as Afghanistan.
• Bangladesh Football Federation: National football federation of Bangladesh and fellow SAFF member. Comparable as a South Asian NGB of similar scale, competing in the same regional tournaments and reliant on similar FIFA/AFC development funding.
• Pakistan Football Federation: National football governing body of Pakistan and fellow SAFF/AFC member. Highly comparable in regional context, governance maturity, and challenges around operating football in a politically complex South Asian market.
• Football Federation of Kyrgyzstan: National football federation of Kyrgyzstan and fellow CAFA member. Comparable Central Asian NGB with similar market size and operating conditions.
• Uzbekistan Football Association: National football federation of Uzbekistan and fellow CAFA member. Directly comparable as a Central Asian football governing body that competes in the same regional tournaments (CAFA U-15, etc.).
• All India Football Federation: National football federation of India, fellow SAFF member and significantly larger market peer. Comparable as a South Asian NGB running the same competitions (SAFF, AFC qualifiers) and similar domestic league structures.
• Nepal Football Federation: National football federation of Nepal and SAFF member. Closely comparable as a small South Asian federation with a limited commercial base, similar talent pool constraints, and dependence on AFC development programs.
• Myanmar Football Federation: National football federation of Myanmar, fellow AFC member. Comparable as an Asian NGB of similar scale and structure with comparable challenges around infrastructure, commercial base, and international competitiveness.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/theaffofficial
• Facebookfacebook.com/affofficial
• Xx.com/theaffofficial

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Afghanistan Football Federation