Afghanistan celebrates 1st international soccer title
Afghanistan soccer players celebrate winning the SAFF Championship 2013 trophy after defeating India during the final match in Kathmandu on September 11, 2013. Afghanistan won the match 2-0.
Afghanistan beat India 2-0 Wednesday night to take home its first international soccer title in the South Asian Football Federation Championship.
The win united a divided nation, as young and old celebrated in Kabul as they watched their national team take home the trophy in Kathmandu, Nepal.
More from GlobalPost: Turban-wearing soccer players banned from Quebec fields
"I am extremely happy, and I am very proud," said Waheedullah, who like many Afghans goes by one name. "How I can explain my feelings? My friends and I were just praying, praying to be champions. It's one of the happiest days of my life."
Afghanistan was a founding member of the SAFFC, but the Taliban's rule over the country from 1996 to 2001 put a severe restriction on sports. It was only recently that the team reemerged after the US ousted the Taliban 12 years ago.
Every day, reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you. We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
Make a gift today, and you’ll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000!