Afghanistan and Pakistan Go to War…on the Soccer Field
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Noorullah Shirzada/AFP/Getty Images(KABUL, Afghanistan) — Afghanistan and Pakistan have had their issues over time, but for one afternoon Tuesday, they were able to settle the score on a soccer field.
In the first international game hosted by Afghanistan in a decade, the home team triumphed over the Pakistani squad, 3-0.
Thousands crammed the stadium in Kabul to cheer on the Afghan soccer players even as reminders of the war were still evident. For security purposes, a U.S. Black Hawk helicopter occasionally flew overhead.
However, no one seemed to notice as the crowd went wild with each goal, waving flags and cheering mightily. Best of all, everyone was on their best behavior, as sometimes soccer fans can get unruly, to say the least.
Although the crowd was clearly on the Afghan side, the Pakistani coach, Serbian Zavisa Milosavljevic, admitted, “I’m really satisfied I was part of this lovely event, this lovely crowd.”
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