Akbari - who has made 50 A-League Men appearances for Brisbane since his debut in 2018 - has been courted by the world’s 150th-ranked nation for three years.

Akbari signs up for land of lineage

  • Ex-Joey Rahmat Akbari has accepted a call to join up with Afghanistan's national team later this month.
  • The Brisbane Roar midfielder was born in Afghanistan but has spent the majority of his life in Queensland.
  • He could still play for Australia again so long as he doesn't represent Afghanistan in a FIFA-sanctioned tournament.

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And he has finally agreed to take up an offer from coach  Anoush Dastgir - who has dual Dutch and Afghan citizenship.

Dastgir has been trawling the globe to undercover players of Afghan lineage plying their trade in recognized leagues in an attempt to lift the war-scarred nation up the FIFA rankings.

And Akbari, 21, is the latest of the Afghani diaspora to join the fold for two friendly matches in Antalya, a former Socceroos training base on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast from March 19-25th,

He will miss Brisbane’s ALM clashes against Perth, Melbourne City and Western United.

Akbari, whose family arrived as refugees from Pakistan when he was aged five, would only be tied to Afghanistan should he feature in a FIFA-sanctioned tournament.