Afghan girls' soccer squad find new home in Ronaldo's Portugal


  • World
  • Thursday, 30 Sep 2021

The captain of Afghanistan's national women football team Farkhunda Muhtaj (C) poses for a portrait with teammates at the Belem Tower in Lisbon, Portugal, September 29, 2021. Picture taken September 29, 2021. REUTERS/Rodrigo Antunes

LISBON (Reuters) - Leaving her homeland Afghanistan was painful, says 15-year-old Sarah. But now safely in Portugal, she hopes to pursue her dream of playing soccer professionally - and perhaps meeting her idol, star striker Cristiano Ronaldo.

Sarah was one of several players from Afghanistan's national female youth soccer squad who fled their country in fear after the Taliban hardline Islamist movement seized power in August.

Subscribe now and receive FREE sooka plan for 1 month.
T&C applies.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In World

Irish PM kicks off election focussing on immigration, housing and Trump
India's Modi rejects calls to restore Kashmir's partial autonomy
Nigeria rights body says no evidence military carried out secret mass abortions
Indonesian volcano spews ash 10 km high, thousands evacuate
Three killed, 66 injured in Mozambique opposition protest, hospital says
Italy PM urges EU to focus on itself after Trump's victory
Putin is ready to talk to Trump but his Ukraine demands are unchanged, Kremlin says
Canadian police brace for 'worst-case scenario' of asylum-seekers fleeing Trump
Turkey's Erdogan sees easy end to Ukraine war if Trump takes solution-based approach
Multiple climate disasters trigger first ever Red Cross disaster insurance pay-out

Others Also Read