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<\/p>\nAfghanistan players are boycotting a World Cup qualifier against Qatar. <\/p>\n
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Players from the Afghanistan men\u2019s team are boycotting their World Cup qualifying match against Qatar over their treatment by the football federation.<\/p>\n
A substantial number, 18 players, have reportedly refused to play in the match, due to take place in Qatar on 16 November.<\/p>\n
Three footballers who play overseas sent a letter last month to the Asian Football Confederation and Fifa detailing complaints and allegations of serious corruption by the Afghanistan Football Federation, the Guardian <\/em>has reported.<\/p>\n \u201cThe last straw came at the last camp when a big group of us decided that we\u2019d had enough \u2013 18 players got together and said: \u2018If we\u2019re going to move forward, we have to put a stop to this,\u2019\u201d Noor Husin, who plays in the National League for Southend United, told the Guardian<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe really want change. We want to help domestic players because the money they are getting from Fifa is not being used in the right way.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have the worst flights possible and we have to stay in substandard hotels.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve come together as a group because we want football in Afghanistan to move forward and we believe that it\u2019s not going to move forward with the people that are in charge at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Faysal Shayesteh, who is a former captain and also signed the letter, said: \u201cEvery year our federation gets financial support from Fifa and from the AFC.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to show a positive Afghanistan to the world so we are asking Fifa to stop supporting our federation financially because the money is going into the pockets of a gang who is ruling football in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n The federation\u2019s secretary Behram Siddiqui has denied the allegations. While players have argued that the AFF executive committee kept half of the bonus that should have gone to the squad for reaching the next stage of the World Cup qualifying among themselves, and that they have been holding on to money from plane tickets of players travelling to games.<\/p>\n A Fifa spokesperson said: \u201cFifa was informed of these allegations very recently and is currently looking into the matter.\u201d<\/p>\nRecommended<\/h3>\n
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