The Afghan Premier League, also known as Rahmani Foundation Afghan Premier League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional men's soccer league run by the Afghanistan Football Federation. It is the country's primary competition for the sport. The competition commenced in September 2012. The league is currently contested by eight teams. Seasons run 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. Successful Afghan Premier League clubs gain qualification into the continental competition, the AFC Cup. All games are played at the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium in Kabul. Since the league's inaugural season, a total of three clubs have been crowned Afghan Premier League champions. Shaheen Asmayee have the record of 4 premier league titles, the most a team has won. Toofan Harirod are the current champions, winning 1–0 in the 2019 Afghan Premier League Final against Shaheen Asmayee F.C.
History
The League was established in 2012 with the first season running through September and October of that year. 8 teams were concurrently established in 2012 to become the inaugural competitors. Before 2012, the league in Afghanistan was broken down into 7 groups that covered the country. Players for the league were selected with the help of a reality televisiontalent show called Maidan e sabz, helmed by Mokhtar Lashkari, star of Tolo TV, Afghanistan's equivalent of The Oprah Winfrey Show. 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. The Afghan High Peace Council has praised the creation and development of the League as an, "opportunity to bring peace and stability" to Afghanistan. The process has given opportunities to minorities such as the Hazara who were treated as an underclass. Many players and supporters have undergone considerable trauma for which the League serves as a form of therapy. Along with the Shpageeza Cricket League which started in 2013, Afghan Premier League football is one of the few big sporting competitions in Afghanistan, offering precious relief from the violence of every day life. Shaheen Asmayee F.C. have won a record 4 Afghan Premier League titles. They are the only team to have reached the Afghan Premier League final in seven consecutive seasons.
The following 20 clubs are competing in the Premier League during the 2020 season.
Media coverage
Private media group Moby Group has the official rights to cover all matches of the APL. The matches are aired live on the company's two television channels in Afghanistan, namely TOLO and Lemar, and also offer live commentary on their radio stations, Arman FM and Arakozia FM. Matches are also available live on the world's largest video sharing websiteYouTube on the league's official YouTube page.
