Mahboob Hanifi

Mahboob Hanifi
Hanifi with Afghanistan in 2023
Personal information
Full name Mahboob Hanifi
Date of birth (1997-03-22) 22 March 1997 (age 29)
Place of birth Faryab, Afghanistan
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Abu Muslim Farah
Number 5
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2021 Simorgh Alborz
2021–2025 Attack Energy Herat
2025– Abu Muslim Farah
International career‡
2023– Afghanistan 22 (1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 2 June 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 2 June 2026 (UTC)

Mahboob Hanifi (Dari: محبوب حنیفی; born 22 March 1997) is an Afghan professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Abu Muslim Farah in the Afghanistan Champions League.

Club career

Hanifi began his senior career at Simorgh Alborz, representing the club in the Afghan Premier League from 2018 to 2021. In 2021, Hanifi joined Attack Energy Herat of the Afghanistan Champions League, based in Herat. He established himself as one of the most consistent defenders in Afghan domestic football during his time at the club. Attack Energy won the Afghanistan Champions League title in 2022, finishing the season unbeaten without conceding a goal across all 11 matches. The club subsequently won the title again in 2024 and represented Afghanistan in continental competition, qualifying for the inaugural 2024–25 AFC Challenge League.

On 19 January 2025, Attack Energy announced their dissolution following allegations of match-fixing in the Afghanistan Champions League. Hanifi subsequently joined Abu Muslim Farah.

International career

Hanifi made his senior debut for the Afghanistan national team in 2023, going on to become a key figure in Afghan defence. He has earned 22 caps and scored one international goal, representing Afghanistan in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign, the CAFA Nations Cup in 2023 and 2025, and the AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifying campaign. His sole international goal came against Pakistan on 14 October 2025 in an AFC Asian Cup qualifying match.

Honours

Attack Energy

References

  1. ↑ "Mahboob Hanifi". National Football Teams. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  2. ↑ "اتک انرژی هرات قهرمان فصل دوم لیگ قهرمانان فوتبال افغانستان شد". Afghanistan International (in Persian). 7 December 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  3. ↑ "در لیگ قهرمانان فوتبال افغانستان، تیم فوتبال اتک انرژی بر تیم موج ساحل، پیروز شد". Azadi Radio (in Persian). 21 December 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  4. ↑ "Attack Energy team dissolved; Mahbobi joins Abu Muslim Farah". Pajhwok Afghan News. 19 January 2025. Retrieved 2 June 2026.
  5. ↑ "Mahboob Hanifi match history". National Football Teams. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
  6. ↑ "در لیگ قهرمانان فوتبال افغانستان، تیم فوتبال اتک انرژی بر تیم موج ساحل، پیروز شد". Azadi Radio (in Persian). 21 December 2024. Retrieved 2 June 2026.