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

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.