Lisbon: Leaving the homeland of the Afghanistan painful, a 15-year-old Sarah said.
But now it is safe in Portugal, he hopes to pursue his dream of playing football professionally – and may meet his idol, striker star Cristiano Ronaldo.
Sarah was one of the few players from the Afghan women’s young football squad who fled their country in fear after the Taliban Hardline Islamic Movement seized power in August.
Portugal has given asylum to young players.
“I’m free,” he said, smiling from his ear to ear when he visited the Belem Lisbon tower in the Tagus River with his mother and teammate.
“My dream is to be a good player like Ronaldo – and I want to be a big business woman here in Portugal,” he said.
He hopes to go home one day but only if he can live freely.
His mother, who asked Reuters not to use their family name, had experienced the first era of the previous Taliban rules from 1996 to 2001.
He was less optimistic they would be able to return.
Taliban leaders have promised to respect women’s rights but under their first government, women cannot work and daughters are prohibited from school.
Women must cover their faces and accompanied by relatives of men when they leave home.
A senior Taliban official said after takeover of August 15 that women may not be allowed to play sports because it was “no need” and their bodies might open.
“The reason we took this mission (to displaced the team) was to ensure they could aspire and play the sport they love,” said Farkhunda Muhtaj, captain of the Afghan women’s senior national team, who flew to Lisbon on Wednesday to surprise the youth team players .
From his house in Canada, where he worked as an assistant to soccer coach at a local university, Muhtaj had been related to girls throughout the evacuation process, the data of football ball data.
It managed to save a total of 80 female youth teams and family members, including babies.
They landed in Portugal on September 19.
When Muhtaj appeared on Wednesday night, the girl was happy.
They embrace.
Some can not hold back tears.
“They have gone through so many, so many challenges,” Muhtaj said.
“They are only tough and they can make it happen.” One relative zaki flavor, aged 25 years, remembering chaos at Kabul airport, where he spent three sad days.
He is now happy to be in Portugal and wants to continue his studies.
“There is some uncertainty about the future,” he said.
“The important thing is we are safe.”