Blair backs Afghanistan's World Cup dream
http://www.guardian.co.uk/afghanistan/story/0,1284,770840,00.html
British government and world football chiefs encouraging development of league to promote peace in war-torn country
David Hencke, Westminster correspondent
Thursday August 8, 2002
The Guardian
Tony Blair has a ploy to bring permanent peace to Afghanistan. He wants to divert competing warlords from factional in-fighting after the fall of the Taliban - by getting them to support rival football teams.
Football is now officially being promoted by Britain - in the afterglow of World Cup fever - as one of the best ways to help the reconstruction of one of the most battle scarred countries of the world.
To the puzzlement of George Bush - because the Americans don't quite understand the rest of the world's obsession with the beautiful game - the British PM has backed an initiative by the Football Association to help the Afghans set up their own league. The objective, now Afghanistan is back in Fifa (world football's governing body) is to help Afghanistan qualify for the next World Cup in Germany in 2006.
Over the next few months the FA will be sending out goalposts, footballs, nets and kit, so Afghanistan can set up its own league and train a new generation of players competent enough to compete on the international stage.
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