The correct verb form in this sentence is : Neither Afzal nor his friends…

Concept

When two subjects are joined by neither … nor (or either … or), the verb does not take both subjects together. By the rule of proximity, the verb agrees in number with the subject that stands nearer to it — the one written just before the blank.

Application

• Subjects joined: Afzal (singular) and his friends (plural).

• The subject nearer to the blank is his friends, which is plural, so the verb must be plural.

• The sentence describes a state of being ("… ______ present"), so the linking verb to be is needed — the plural form is were.

Cross-check

• Read only the nearer subject with the verb: "his friends were present" — grammatical.

• "his friends was present" sounds wrong, confirming a plural verb is required.

Hence the correct completion is were.