Ali Askar Lali (Persian: علی عسکر لعلی) is an Afghan former football player and trainer. Born in 1957 (age 68–69) in Afghanistan, he played as a midfielder. He represented Afghanistan at the senior international level from 1975 to 1979, and also played for the Afghanistan U20 team at the 1977 AFC Youth Championship in Iran. At the senior level, he participated in the 1976 Quaid-e-Azam International Football Tournament in Pakistan and the 1980 Olympic Games qualification.
In 1981, Lali moved to Germany as a refugee and lived for many years in Paderborn. His club career in Germany included stints with SC Paderborn 07, TuS Schloß Neuhaus, Delbrücker SC, and VfL Lichtenau during the 1980s and 1990s.
Following his playing career, Lali became a coach. His managerial career includes:
- 2002: Afghanistan U-23 national team
- 2003–2005: Afghanistan national football team (head coach)
- 2007–2008: Afghanistan women's national football team
- 2009–2010: Afghanistan U-15 national team
- 2011–2016: Assistant manager of the Afghanistan national football team
Lali has also participated in a project of the German Foreign Office to promote Afghan women's football and trained the Afghan women's national team. He currently divides his time between Germany and Afghanistan.
