Following the donation of strips from Glasgow Rangers Football Club, the ANA faced soldiers from The Royal Regiment of Scotland as well as Irish, American, Romanian and French troops in a match in Afghanistan this week, which separated the men from the boys.
The donation of the Rangers strips follows a visit to Afghanistan last month by the UK's International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander, who learned over lunch with the soldiers at Camp Souter that one side had no football strips.
Back in Britain the Scots Minister linked up with Rangers, who immediately arranged to send a team strip to Afghanistan.
The international team's captain, Major David Jones, who is also the Commanding Officer of the ANA's Gandamac Company at the Officer Cadet School in Kabul, said:
"We're very grateful to both Glasgow Rangers and West Ham United for the donation of the kit. Being a Glasgow Rangers fan myself, it is even better!"
The Afghan National Army players wore the Rangers kit, with the international side in West Ham shirts, which had previously been donated by the London club.
Suitably kitted out, a friendly match took place this week between the international team and Afghan Officer Candidates at the Kabul Military Training Centre, where international mentors including British soldiers and Royal Marines help to train their Afghan Officer and Non-Commissioned Officer colleagues for 23 weeks of military and leadership skills, before they deploy throughout Afghanistan.
Colour Sergeant Gary Buchanan from Arbroath in Scotland plays in mid-field for the international team. He has previously served in Iraq, but this is his first mentoring role.
Speaking before the match, he said:
"When we first came, I wasn't sure what to expect of the Afghans. My previous experience was working with the Iraqis. I've been here for five months now and it's been rewarding work. They're keen, enthusiastic and fit - fitness is obviously a key part of soldiering.
"They're also a very good standard considering their Army was only established six years ago. I hope the same skill won't be applied on the field! Obviously this work is very different to the work the boys are doing down south in Helmand, but it's just as important. This is what is going to allow the Afghans to have control for themselves and what will get us as a coalition out of Afghanistan."
British Ambassador Mark Sedwill also praised the training being offered by the troops at the centre and saw evidence of relationship building in the match:
"Training and developing the Afghan National Army is a crucial part of the international community's work in Afghanistan, to which we are strongly committed. The skills that the soldiers are passing on to their Afghan colleagues are helping to expand Afghan Government control and improve security to ensure a better life for the people of Afghanistan.
"The excellent relationship between the British trainers and the Afghan recruits is readily evident during training, and when Afghan and intentional forces deploy together on the front line."
The match ended in a diplomatic 2-2 draw.