Coach of the Afghanistan national football team José Antonio Goldberger Gomes Nogueira has said that he hopes they will play against Maldives once more in the final of the 2026 Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament, which is set to begin today in Male'.
Afghanistan will be playing their first match in the tournament tonight against Maldives.
During the pre-tournament press conference, the Brazilian coach said that he has a lot of respect for Maldives.
While speaking during yesterday's press conference, he said that he hopes they will play against Maldives once more in the final match of the tournament after their match tonight.
"God willing, we will make it to the final. It will make us even happier if we play against Maldives in the final," said Nogueira.
He highlighted that there are some major differences in the match preparation between the two teams. The coach said that while Maldives had the opportunity to prepare 100 percent for the tournament for one month, most Afghanistan players only had two days of training.
"Give me one month with these kids," said Nogueira jokingly looking at Maldives' training.
Nogueira stated that Maldives is ready for the tournament. And so, he said that their match against Maldives today will be a tough one.
The coach had praised Ali Ashfaq (Dhagandey), Maldives' forward. While describing Ashfaq as Maldives' best player to date, Nogueira said that even though Ashfaq is an older player, he is someone that can make a difference.
"I know that he has gotten a bit older. He is the best player in the history of Maldivian football. He has my respect," said Nogueira.
Nogueira became Afghanistan's coach in February 2026, with two matches to be played under him. He said that there was some difficulty in getting players living in the capital Kabul and those who were living abroad.
However, even with those difficulties, Nogueira said that he is sure the players will play well in the finals.
The first match in the 2026 Diamond Jubilee International Football Tournament today will see Bangladesh play against Pakistan.
