Ghazi Stadium

The concrete terraces at Ghazi Stadium rise steeply above the pitch, their red-painted edges worn bright against the grey sky. It sits in District 16, southeast of the Shahr-e Naw neighbourhood, catching the wind that rolls off the mountains. The view from the stands takes in a ring of construction, with skeletal frames rising behind the far end while the city sprawls out below.

Built in 1923 during the reign of King Amanullah Khan, the ground has kept its original footprint, though the surface beneath it changed in December 2011. The artificial turf replaced a pitch that had fallen into disrepair, a renovation that also brought a running track and floodlights to the site. The facility has no undersoil heating.

The capacity is stated as 25,000 spectators, a figure that has remained constant since the stadium opened, though no crowd numbers are recorded for specific matches. The venue serves as the home ground for the Afghanistan national football team and has hosted local clubs such as Shaheen Asmayee FC, Maiwand Kabul FC, Kabul Bank F.C., Seramiasht F.C., Javan Azadi Kabul F.C., and Hakim Sanayi Kabul F.C.

The first international football match played here took place on January 1, 1941, ending in a goalless draw between Afghanistan and Iran. The stadium also held the SAFF Championship finals in 2011, 2013, and 2015. Cultural events have included concerts by Duke Ellington in 1963 and performances by Googoosh in the 1970s and Farhad Darya in 2005.

The ground is owned by the Afghanistan National Olympic Committee and carries several other names, including Kabul Stadium, Kabul National Stadium, and National Stadium, though it has never undergone an official name change. The stands are occasionally filled with police officers in riot gear, holding shields with "POLICE" printed across them, standing in rows where supporters might otherwise sit.