Former Afghanistan national football team coach Anush Dastgir takes charge of Netherlands U-18 team

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): The Dutch Football Federation (KNVB) announced in an official statement that Anush Dastgir will now lead the country's U-18 national team in preparatory and official competitions. This selection was made despite the fact that he previously managed the Afghan national senior team.

 

Anush Dastgir, who was born in Kabul and raised in the Netherlands, has been active in the country's football system for many years, especially at the grassroots level, and has previously played a role as a coach at Almere City in the Dutch Premier League (Eredivisie). He also holds a high-level coaching certificate from UEFA and has always been in the spotlight in football circles due to his professional attitude and precise technical analysis.

 

Dastgir led the Afghan national team between 2018 and 2023. His tenure was accompanied by efforts to create a new technical structure in the country's football, inviting players working in Europe, and paying attention to disciplinary principles in the national armies. Although he faced challenges such as the structural weakness of the Afghanistan Football Federation and limited facilities, he was able to bring a new generation of players into the national team.

 

Reactions to his new appointment in the Dutch and regional media have been positive, and many have considered it an important step in the professional growth of this Afghan coach. Some sports experts believe that this success could pave the way for other Afghan immigrant coaches to appear in European football structures.

 

The brilliance of coaches such as Anoush Dastgir at the top levels of European football is a new hope for improving the technical status of the country's football.