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The Afghan Premier League, also known as Rahmani Foundation Afghan Premier League for sponsorship reasons,[1] was a former professional men's football league run by the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) for Football in Afghanistan. It was the country's primary competition for the sport. The league was contested by eight teams. The competition commenced in September 2012. Seasons usually ran from September to October followed by a finals series involving the top two highest-placed teams in each of the two tables of four teams. The national champion gained qualification into the continental competition. Most games were played at the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium in Kabul.[2]
| Founded | 2012 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 2020 |
| Replaced by | Afghanistan Champions League |
| Country | Afghanistan |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| International cup(s) | AFC Challenge League |
| Last champions | Shaheen Asmayee (5 titles) |
| Most championships | Shaheen Asmayee (5 titles) |
| TV partners | TOLO Lemar Eleven Sports YouTube (live streaming) |
| Website | afghanpremierleague |
Since the league's inaugural season, a total of three clubs were crowned Afghan Premier League champions. Shaheen Asmayee, won a record 5 premier league titles. The league is folded in 2020 and was replaced with the Afghanistan Champions League.
The Afghan Premier League was established in 2012 replacing the Kabul Premier League, with the first season running through September and October of that year.[3] 8 teams were concurrently established in 2012 to become the inaugural competitors.[4] Before 2012, the league in Afghanistan was broken down into 7 groups that covered the country.[5]
Players for the league were selected with the help of a reality television talent show called Maidan-e-sabz ("The Green Pitch"),[6] helmed by Mukhtar Lashkari, star of Tolo TV, Afghanistan's equivalent of The Oprah Winfrey Show.[7] The concept came from the Afghanistan Football Federation and the Afghanistan-based MOBY Group, which owns a number of TV channels and radio stations and is the largest media group in the country. MOBY Group channels will broadcast matches. Players were voted onto teams by a jury and by the television audience. The 34 provinces were grouped into eight larger zones. Eight teams of 18 players, one from every region, were formed.[8][7]
The Afghan High Peace Council praised the creation and development of the League as an, "opportunity to bring peace and stability" to Afghanistan.[4] The process has given opportunities to minorities such as the Hazara who were treated as a underclass. Many players and supporters had undergone considerable trauma for which the League serves as a form of therapy.[7] Along with the Shpageeza Cricket League which started in 2013, Afghan Premier League football was one of the few big sporting competitions in Afghanistan, offering precious relief from the violence of everyday life.[9]
Shaheen Asmayee FC won a record 5 Afghan Premier League titles (2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2020). They were the only team to have reached the Afghan Premier League final in eight consecutive seasons (2013–2020). The league was discontinued after 2020 and replaced with the Afghanistan Champions League.[3]
| Year | Winner | Finals result | Runners-up | Top Scorers (golden boot) | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Toofan Harirod | 2–1 | Simorgh Alborz | Hamidullah Karimi (Toofan Harirod) | 9 |
| 2013 | Shaheen Asmayee | 3–1 a.e.t. | Simorgh Alborz | Hamidullah Karimi (Toofan Harirod), Hashmatullah Barakzai (Shaheen Asmayee) | 7 |
| 2014 | Shaheen Asmayee | 3–2 | Oqaban Hindukush | Mohammad Riza Rizayee (Oqaban Hindukush) | 6 |
| 2015 | De Spin Ghar Bazan | 3–3 Penalties | Shaheen Asmayee | Mustafa Afshar (De Maiwand Atalan) | 5 |
| 2016 | Shaheen Asmayee | 2–1 a.e.t | De Maiwand Atalan | Amredin Sharifi (Shaheen Asmayee) | 6 |
| 2017 | Shaheen Asmayee | 4–3 a.e.t. | De Maiwand Atalan | Amredin Sharifi (De Maiwand Atalan) | 5 |
| 2018 | Toofan Harirod | 1–0 a.e.t. | Shaheen Asmayee | Yar Mohammad Zakarkhel (Toofaan Harirod)[10] | |
| 2019 | Toofan Harirod | 1–0 a.e.t. | Shaheen Asmayee | Raoof Qaderi (Shaheen Asmayee)[11] | |
| 2020 | Shaheen Asmayee | 1–0 | Simorgh Alborz | Javid Mirzad (Oqaban Hindukush), Mostafa Rezaei (Simorgh Alborz) | 3 |
League wins by club
| Club | Wins | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| Shaheen Asmayee | 5 | 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2020 |
| Toofan Harirod | 3 | 2012, 2018, 2019 |
| De Spin Ghar Bazan | 1 | 2015 |
Private media group Moby Media Group had the official rights to cover all matches of the ACL. The matches were aired live on the company's two television channels in Afghanistan, namely TOLO and Lemar,[12] and also offered live commentary on their radio stations, Arman FM and Arakozia FM. Matches are also available live on the league's official YouTube page.[13]
Roshan Telecom was the title sponsor of Afghan Premier League after which it was named as Roshan Afghan Premier League from 2012 to at least 2018.[14] Official Partners of Afghan Premier League were Afghanistan International Bank and Hummel International which provided kit for the teams.[15]
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