It was a war from a different millennia, a battlefield on another continent. But on Wednesday British and German soldiers fought each other on a Kabul football pitch to mark the centenary of the famous Christmas Truce game between the fighting nations of World War I in 1914. This time around, however, the soldiers did not emerge from the trenches and no ball was kicked across a no man's land.
The event was held on the grounds of the Nato-led coalition headquarters in a fortified area in the Afghan capital. The friendly between the two old enemies ended with a 3-0 victory for the British, all scored in the second half. "Sports and sportsmanship can overcome all borders, and can overcome everything that separates people," said German General Carsten Jacobson, the deputy commander of the coalition.
The cup was provided by the ambassador of Germany to Afghanistan, Markus Potzel, who himself was a football player in his teens until a knee surgery ended his career. "It is a commemoration of the match between England and Germany -soldiers playing football, instead of waging war against each other," Potzel. "It shows that war hostilities can be overcome - have to be overcome - by friendly games like football. That could be a way out of the war ongoing in Afghanistan," he said.
There were other echoes of that day 100 years ago. Before the match began a Nato soldier played Silent Night on his violin, with the troops singing alongside in German and English. German troops sang the song in the trenches on Christmas Eve 1914. Wednesday's game was also punctuated by the sounds of the present day, as military helicopters brought in troops and dignitaries, including US Senator John McCain, to Kabul.
Attendees included around 200 soldiers from different countries, including Sweden, Pakistan and the United States. Most of them were dressed in their battle fatigues. Many of them will soon be leaving Afghanistan. Nato ends its 13-year combat mission this year, after which Afghan security forces will be tasked with fighting insurgents by themselves.
"Our purpose was to commemorate those who did this outstanding event 100 years ago," Colonel Frank Graefe, the German team captain, said. "Back then we were enemies in a bloody war ... Today we are coalition partners and close friends, fighting together on the same side on the combat zone again. The message it sends it that peace is possible when we want it," said Graefe, a military advisor in Kabul.
After the match, the cup was awarded to the winning team. The runner-up received a desktop Christmas tree from Germany. "It was a very well contested match ... It was done absolutely in the spirit of all good British-German football matches, very keenly contested, but also commemorating a significant event back in 1914," Major General Ben Bathurst of the British Army said.
Commemorative games have been held between England and Germany in many countries this year. In England it is celebrated every year, with friendlies from football giants to small clubs. Earlier this month UEFA unveiled a statue of a football player in a Belgian field where the truce match was said to have taken place. Adam Baylis-West, donning a hat and a well-trimmed moustache, said he enjoyed the game because "it was a break between a long, tedious work hour." "This is fantastic. And it's made better because we beat the Germans," said the British military advisor, as he smoked his wooden pipe. "In all seriousness though, this is a good sign of how far we have come."
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