A club that missed out on winning Afghanistan’s top division on goal difference has disbanded in protest at what it says is the national federation’s failure to properly investigate allegations of match-fixing.
Attack Energy were dissolved after Abu Muslim Farah were crowned champions for the first time in a competition set up in 2021 when the Taliban regained power.
Attack Energy led the Afghanistan Champions League for most of the way and have raised questions about Abu Muslim’s 8-0 victory against Adalat Farah in their sixth game of the 10-match season. Abu Muslim then drew with Attack Energy and won their remaining fixtures to take the title in January with a goal difference superior by three.
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It is understood Abu Muslim and Adalat are owned by the same person: Abdul Hamid Sharifi, a businessman based in the city of Farah, in the west of the country. Eight teams lodged complaints with the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) that the result had been fixed and demanded an investigation.
Officials from Attack Energy, a club founded in 1947 and which competed in last season’s Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Challenge League after being crowned Afghan champions, also wrote to Fifa and the AFC to ask them to look into the claims. The AFF produced a report that concluded it was satisfied with the situation and allowed Abu Muslim’s title to stand. The AFF’s president, Mohammad Yousef Kargar, was accused of fixing two matches during an international men’s tournament in 2008 in Malaysia. He denied those allegations.
An Attack Energy statement said: “We, at the management of Attack Energy Cultural Sports Club, have tried with all our might and hope to clarify these issues and have repeatedly called on the Afghanistan Football Federation to investigate and transparently pursue cases related to injustice and collusion. However, unfortunately, we did not receive any convincing response and no action was taken towards transparency and justice.
“This disregard for the legitimate demands saddened the hearts of all football and sports lovers. In such circumstances, it became impossible for our club to continue on its path, and the club’s leadership, after extensive consultations and careful evaluation, was forced to make a painful decision: to dissolve the Attack Energy Cultural Sports Club.
“What happened in the fourth season of the Afghan Football Champions League was bitter and unfortunate; facts that are clear and undeniable to everyone. We hope that these events will be a serious warning bell to reform and improve the country’s football structure so that such sad days will not be repeated.”
A Fifa spokesperson said they could not comment on “allegations they may or may not have received, or whether investigations are under way into alleged cases”. It is understood that world football’s governing body is unable to intervene when allegations of match-fixing are made in domestic competitions.
Kargar told the Guardian in a statement: “If there is any complaint regarding this matter, the relevant committees, such as the judicial committee, referees committee, and match commissioner, will address it. Based on the investigations conducted, no match-fixing has taken place.”
Sharifi did not respond to a request for comment.
