For Afghanistan, a lot was on the line.
The country wants to be removed from the list of places banned by FIFA from hosting matches.
Additionally, the opponent, Palestine, had beaten Afghanistan in three consecutive matches, including the 2010 World Cup qualifiers and the 2014 Asia Challenge Cup.
And, for the general populace of the country, soccer can provide a realm for both escape and unification during times of tumult and upheaval.
“We arrived at the stadium about two-and-a-half hours before the game,” Adam Najem said this week after returning from Kabul, where he received his first international cap starting in midfield for the Lions of Khurasan, “And there was already six or seven thousand people out there.