The game is gradually rediscovering its rightful place in society after years of prohibition under the Taliban regime. The FA, along with FIFA, is lending a helping hand in rebuilding the game out there.

John Baker, The FA’s Head of Refereeing recently ran a FIFA referees course in the capital, Kabul. After overcoming obstacles such as the language barrier, the course was very well received. The Afghans really seemed to enjoy themselves; an example of the important role football can play in rebuilding the country and morale during difficult living conditions.

The practical exercises allowed the participants to swap roles between that of the player and that of the referee. John told the FIFA website " It was very entertaining watching them try to fool the referee and simulate the gestures and histrionics during a real game".

He went on to say: "The overall experience in Afghanistan was very positive, we set aside our differences and worked together: that’s the power of football."

As well as a refereeing course, a coaching course was also staged in Kabul’s Olympic stadium. This focused on theoretical and practical aspects and again, the enthusiasm was incredible.

The FA’s current work in Afghanistan springs from the Match of Unity in February 2002, a goodwill game that attracted over 30,000 fans. The FA has dispatched an expert, Michael Moriarty, to establish administrative and financial procedures for the game.

This initiative, funded by the British Foreign and Commonwealth office, has resulted in the production of a development strategy for the national game. It complements the assistance being provided by FIFA as part of the GOAL and Financial Assistance Programmes, details or which can be found on FIFA.com.

It is important that the good work in Afghanistan continues as football provides a real symbol of hope for the future in the country. For more news and information on The FA’s work in Afghanistan and other countries around the world, click here.