The Afghan Premier League (APL), centered around the message “One nation – One voice”, on Sunday announced the 2018 season of the greatly anticipated tournament has been postponed due to insufficient financial support.

In a statement issued by the Afghanistan Football Federation (AFF) and APL management, the two organizations said they “are working relentlessly to organize the tournament for 2019.”

The APL was launched six years ago and is held annually at regional and national levels.

Until now the league has been sponsored by the private sector and supported by the international community. It not only provides entertainment for millions of Afghans worldwide, but promotes national unity, combats radicalism, and works to eradicate drug usage.

Eight zones are represented in the APL – which is staged over six months, starting with regional selection tournaments and then ending with eighteen national league matches in Kabul.

Over the past six years, the annual tournament has grown tremendously in popularity and draws thousands of spectators and millions of TV viewers each year.

The league matches are held at Kabul Stadium each year.