{"id":295817,"date":"2023-11-21T11:24:14","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T11:24:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/?p=295817"},"modified":"2023-11-21T11:24:14","modified_gmt":"2023-11-21T11:24:14","slug":"i-achieved-glory-at-man-utd-now-i-manage-afghanistan-amid-18-player-boycott","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportstoft.com\/soccer\/i-achieved-glory-at-man-utd-now-i-manage-afghanistan-amid-18-player-boycott\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I achieved glory at Man Utd, now I manage Afghanistan amid 18-player boycott’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Man Utd are making huge changes ahead of Sir Jim Ratcliffe coming into the club | Football Digest<\/h3>\n

It’s one of the sport’s oldest cliches, ‘the hardest job in football’. Such a definition could be based on different aspects: a club’s size, financial situation, political stance, etc. But it might actually be the case for former Manchester United academy star Ashley Westwood, the new manager of Afghanistan.<\/p>\n

He’s no stranger to adversity. Westwood was the assistant manager when Portsmouth entered administration, worked for Blackpool under the toxic Oysten regime and the sack-happy Venky family’s Blackburn Rovers.<\/p>\n

But even for a coach of his experience, becoming the leader of Afghanistan’s national team takes the bacon.<\/p>\n

Westwood started his 17-year career at United, winning the FA Youth Cup alongside Phil Neville in 1995.<\/p>\n

He went on to enjoy a successful career in this English Football League, representing clubs like Crewe Alexandra, Northampton Town, Bradford City and Wrexham.<\/p>\n

After his 2012 retirement and subsequent coaching spells at Portsmouth, Blackpool and Blackburn, Westwood was named manager of Bengaluru FC and became the youngest manager to win the I-League title in 2014.<\/p>\n

He took charge of Malaysian Super League side Penang after a three-year tenure with Bengaluru, spending one year there and at RoundGlass Punjab on either side of a technical director gig at ATK.<\/p>\n

Click\u00a0<\/strong>here<\/strong>\u00a0to join our WhatsApp community to be the first to receive breaking and exclusive Man Utd news.<\/strong><\/p>\n

READ MORE <\/strong> Man City star Silva to ‘pull strings’ to block Joao Neves to Man Utd transfer[QUOTES] <\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

But now the 47-year-old faces arguably his toughest and most peculiar task yet – thanks to the Afghan players impressed with his work in India who recommended him – guiding the nation to the 2026 World Cup.<\/p>\n

Well… that might be optimistic, especially considering the mass player boycott he has inherited and the fact Afghanistan can’t play home games in their own country.<\/p>\n

Eighteen players are currently boycotting international duty due to allegations of corruption in the Afghan Football Federation.<\/p>\n

The Guardian report that three overseas-based players have signed a letter stating their complaints and sent it to FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation this month.<\/p>\n

Noor Husin, Farshad Noor and Faysal Shayesteh – all part of the squad that beat Mongolia 2-0 on aggregate in the first round of qualifying – have alleged a serious mismanagement of finances.<\/p>\n

The trio has called on FIFA to investigate claims that senior AFF officials have been misusing funds meant to be invested in developing football in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n