While the atmosphere within the Kabul Olympic Stadium was vibrant and good-natured, outside there were confused scenes as thousands of fans attempted to gain entry to the already full 25,000-capacity ground. However, the situation was brought under control and allowed the match to kick-off, albeit 30 minutes late.

It was the locals who went in front with an acrobatic volley reminiscent of Darius Vassell's spectacular strike for England against Holland in Amsterdam but the peacekeepers rallied impressively, sealing the win with two goals in three second-half minutes.

The Football Association had played an active role in making the match a reality, with Executive Director David Davies and International Relations Co-ordinator Kim Fisher leading a party that included Gary Mabbutt, capped 16 times for England, and former England assistant coach Lawrie McMenemy, who coached the rival teams, as well the quartet of match officials headed by Peter Jones.

The match was a deeply symbolic and poignant event, as the stadium had been used by the former Taleban regime used the stadium for public executions, floggings and amputations. Most importantly, it was indicative of the end of Afghanistan's diplomatic and sporting isolation, which has seen the country prevented from competing in the last Olympics and failing to enter the qualification stages of recent World Cups.

The F.A's mission had the support of football's world governing body, FIFA, and the personal backing of FIFA President, Joseph Blatter, who entrusted David Davies with the specific remit to investigate the current situation of football in Afghanistan and its immediate needs. As Davies said before leaving for Kabul, "It is an honour for The Football Association to be invited to be part of this historic occasion. Football in the sense that we know it has been denied to the Afghan people for a considerable period of time, and this match, as far as we are concerned, is an important part of the reconstruction process of the sport in Afghanistan".

By Andrin Cooper