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| Afghans shock India to win first international football trophy | Afghans shock India to win first international football trophy |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Afghanistan has won its first international football trophy, beating India 2-0 in the South Asian Football Federation Championship final. | Afghanistan has won its first international football trophy, beating India 2-0 in the South Asian Football Federation Championship final. |
| Afghanistan was already one goal up before half-time, with Sanjar Ahmadi doubling the lead in the second half. | Afghanistan was already one goal up before half-time, with Sanjar Ahmadi doubling the lead in the second half. |
| The fiercely competitive match was watched by an estimated 5,000 fans at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu. | The fiercely competitive match was watched by an estimated 5,000 fans at the Dasharath Stadium in Kathmandu. |
| Afghanistan has only recently re-emerged on the world football scene after decades of war and insurgency. | Afghanistan has only recently re-emerged on the world football scene after decades of war and insurgency. |
| There were scenes of celebration and joy on the streets of Kabul, where people crammed into restaurants and cafes to watch the final. | There were scenes of celebration and joy on the streets of Kabul, where people crammed into restaurants and cafes to watch the final. |
| The Afghan team suffered a humiliating 4-0 loss to India when the two sides met in the 2011 final in Delhi. | The Afghan team suffered a humiliating 4-0 loss to India when the two sides met in the 2011 final in Delhi. |
| India, ranked 145th in the world compared to Afghanistan's 139th, has won the event six times. | |
| Celebratory dance | |
| The defending champions missed several good opportunities, says BBC Nepali's Surendra Phuyal in Kathmandu. | |
| They did their best to dominate and equalise, but the Afghan defence and its goalkeeper proved too smart for the Indian forwards, our correspondent says. | |
| After the match ended, the Afghan players danced on the pitch in celebration with the Afghan flag draped on their shoulders. | |
| "You can't imagine how big this moment is for our country, our fans, our team and me," Afghan coach Yousef Kargar said. | |
| "We have proved that we belong in the world of football. Our team has improved a lot over the last few years and I am sure we will get better in the years to come." | |
| Celebratory gunfire rang out around the Afghan capital. | |
| Although not banned, football was severely restricted in Afghanistan under the rule of the Taliban from 1996 to 2001. | |
| Football stadiums were often used by the Islamist movement to stage public executions and forced amputations. | |
| Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives and hosts Nepal were the other teams to take part in the tournament, which is held every two years. |