Afghanistan’s Falling Man: The 17-Year-Old Soccer Star Who Plunged From a U.S. Military Jet

Hundreds of Afghans swarmed the runway of Hamid Karzai Global Airport trying to climb on to a taxiing one hundred forty-ton U.S. Air Force transportation plane. Two Apache helicopters buzzed low to disperse them.

Powering via the scrum in a green tunic, seventeen-yr-previous Zaki Anwari built his way to the front and clambered on to the plane’s landing gear. As it accelerated earlier 120 miles an hour, he held restricted.

Hrs previously, as the Taliban commenced its first early morning in cost of Kabul, Mr. Anwari, a substantial-faculty senior and attacking midfielder for the countrywide youth soccer team, phoned his brother to notify him that if he didn’t flee Afghanistan he would by no means play once again.

“Do not go, go back again, you are good, don’t go,” his elder brother Zakir said.

“I have to test,” Mr. Anwari replied.