Afghanistan's coach Mohamed Kargar says he is confident that his team will soon get a good position in Asian soccer.

"We will soon obtain a satisfactory position for football in Asia as our young players are working hard," Kargar told Reuters in an interview late on Saturday.

India, 118th in the Fifa world rankings, beat Afghanistan 2-0 in one of the early matches of the AFC Challenge Cup in Chittagong on Saturday. Fifa President Sepp Blatter inaugurated the tournament in the capital Dhaka, one of two venues for the 16-team competition.

"We could not play well against India, despite good support from local spectators, because India is a stronger team," Kargar said. Kargar said Afghanistan, ranked 189 in the world, had a national women's soccer team comprising players from 14 clubs.

"We also have very good women footballers of international standard and we hope they will do very well in the future." Two representatives from the women's team attended a recent international conference for Fifa delegates in Qatar. "Our development of women's football was appreciated," Kargar said.

He said football resumed in war-shattered Afghanistan only three years ago.

"Football has regained its popularity as the country lacks other alternatives for entertainment in the conservative society," Kargar said.

The government is trying to break social taboos in sport, especially women's sport, imposed by the former Taliban regime.