KARACHI, Aug 16: Pakistan will play the first international football match in ten years in Afghanistan when they face their neighbours at Kabul’s AFF Stadium on August 20.

The return match in Pakistan is currently scheduled for December 2013 in Lahore.

The match will take place on an artificial pitch at the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) stadium, football’s world governing body FIFA said in a media release on Friday.

“The fact that we are hosting our first international game in 10 years, and the first against Pakistan in Kabul since 1977 [in the 26th Saratan Football Tournament], represents a major highlight for football in our country,” AFF secretary general Sayed Aghazada, told FIFA.com.

“It shows that after a very difficult period we are returning to normality. Afghan football has improved in terms of organisation and infrastructure, and we now believe that football can play an even bigger role in our country. Of course we expect a sell-out crowd.”

Turkmenistan were the last team to visit Afghanistan for a match, winning 2-0 in 2003.

The match will serve as warm-up for the upcoming SAFF Championships where both teams will be taking part.

“The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) is very pleased to play this match with Afghanistan,” PFF secretary Col Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi told Dawn on Friday.

“Playing this first match in Kabul will go a long way in football history, and will help in the mutual development and prosperity for both countries.”

The Pakistan team, currently undergoing training in Lahore, will leave for Kabul on Aug 19, Lodhi added.

“We’ll take a team of local-based players to Kabul as the foreign-based players will join the team directly in Nepal [for the SAFF Championships],” Lodhi said.

Afghanistan, who were runners-up to India in the last edition of the SAFF Championships, also have a number of foreign-based players with most of them based in Germany.—Umaid Wasim