Afghan street soccer team heads to Germany

KABUL, June 21 (Reuters) While Afghanistan has never played in the World Cup finals, the war-torn country's ''street soccer'' team hope to make a big impact in Germany this summer.

The eight-member squad will play five matches in Berlin in a tournament organised by ''streetfootballworld'' with the help of FIFA, world soccer's governing body.

''It is a matter of great pride that even if we cannot take part in the World Cup, at least we are able play side-by-side with that great tournament,'' coach Ali Askar Lali told Reuters.

''It is also a matter of pride for us that ours is the only team from Asia taking part in the street football tournament.'' If the Afghan 17-year-olds did well in the early street soccer matches, they could go on to play in the final on July 8, a day before the real World Cup final.

Football is hugely popular in Afghanistan but under Taliban rule from 1996 to 2001, players were banned from wearing shorts and short-sleeved shirts. Religious police often tried to force spectators to say prayers at halftime.

SHAVED HEADS Pakistani players visiting the southern town of Kandahar for a game during Taliban rule were arrested and had their heads shaved for wearing shorts.

The radical regime also banned most forms of entertainment such as television. Kabul's only stadium was used an execution ground.

But under life-size pictures of President Hamid Karzai and other leaders, Lali's street soccer squad, kitted out in black shorts and white shirts, were able to warm up in Kabul stadium on Monday without worrying about having their heads shaved.

With satellite dishes and cable television, many residents of the capital can now watch late-night World Cup matches.

Ahmad Jawad, a members of the squad, said Afghanistan must do much more to promote soccer before the country could make its mark at international level.

''We don't have even the basic facilities for football in our country. We need to set up football stadiums not in Kabul alone but other parts of the country as well,'' he said.

''If we have the facilities and people work hard, then maybe in 15 years we may be able to qualify for the World Cup.'' REUTERS SY BD1043