The Afghan Premier League (APL) is playing its second season of professional soccer in 2013 after a successful debut year. Some 144 Afghan football players from the eight teams in the APL live together in a large communal house in the capital where they eat and sleep during the seven-week season, earning about $9 per day. All APL matches are played in a Kabul stadium, making every game a "home" game for each team. (10 PHOTOS)
Afghan Pro Soccer League Begins Second Season
![Afghan soccer players at a training session at a Kabul stadium on September 2.](https://gdb.rferl.org/a8781389-d990-4f40-8e5f-aeb2d1cbb6fb_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
1
Afghan soccer players at a training session at a Kabul stadium on September 2.
![Afghan pro football players training at a Kabul stadium on September 2.](https://gdb.rferl.org/385dc031-6c21-4bd4-bb11-c09b097564f5_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
2
Afghan pro football players training at a Kabul stadium on September 2.
![The Afghan soccer players eating lunch at their communal house in Kabul on September 2.](https://gdb.rferl.org/bcc62166-ff1a-4950-b9e9-6ddb403a536c_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
3
The Afghan soccer players eating lunch at their communal house in Kabul on September 2.
![Afghan players practicing in Kabul on September 2.](https://gdb.rferl.org/74689994-e722-4928-b043-1b91b2e25f85_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
4
Afghan players practicing in Kabul on September 2.
![Afghan footballers participate in a training session at the Kabul stadium on September 2.](https://gdb.rferl.org/48f0a4c9-f200-4bd9-a91e-ec99e43239a8_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
5
Afghan footballers participate in a training session at the Kabul stadium on September 2.
![Afghan football player Emal Mangal (left), 19, talks with other players in his dorm room in Kabul on September 2.](https://gdb.rferl.org/906f8a94-2563-42d4-b922-cd94c8ef5a20_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
6
Afghan football player Emal Mangal (left), 19, talks with other players in his dorm room in Kabul on September 2.
![Afghan players relax in their dormitory.](https://gdb.rferl.org/bd4dd06e-1969-4d07-9097-86fba3c3e76a_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
7
Afghan players relax in their dormitory.
![Afghan footballers play a video game in a dorm room while others watch at their communal house in Kabul.](https://gdb.rferl.org/6a191be4-33a0-4fb0-9d78-97059efb3795_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
8
Afghan footballers play a video game in a dorm room while others watch at their communal house in Kabul.
![Afghan soccer players dance in their dorm room in Kabul.](https://gdb.rferl.org/63b14369-6c55-44d8-9216-bfe5ae78b96b_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
9
Afghan soccer players dance in their dorm room in Kabul.
![Afghan football players training in Kabul with a poster of legendary Afghan commander Ahmad Shah Masud in the background.](https://gdb.rferl.org/dc7191da-16f6-4f1a-b487-ea68357fc7d2_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
10
Afghan football players training in Kabul with a poster of legendary Afghan commander Ahmad Shah Masud in the background.