Five days before Mokhtar Mohammadi left home for Hong Kong his eyes lit up. Proudly holding a New Zealand passport, the 15-year-old was given the green light to join his new-found friends as part of the Soccer2 team to play the Manchester United Premier Cup tournament in Hong Kong.
"I
was very proud to be able to call myself a New Zealander," said Mohammadi, who is playing his part in this highly rated tournament for under-15 players.
He left his native Afghanistan as an 11-year-old. After a couple of years in Pakistan, Mohammadi, his parents, brothers and sister arrived in New Zealand to join his older brother Mehdi, who had arrived in Auckland more or less by default three years earlier.
His brother, now 20, was on the sinking fishing boat rescued by the Tampa which was the focus of an international crisis when Australia refused the refugees entry.
"Our target was to go to Australia, but that did not happen," Mohammadi said. "Instead, we came to New Zealand as refugees."
They waited at the Mangere Refugee Centre for six weeks before immigration authorities gave them permission to stay.
That was just the start.
In a foreign country, with no more than a smattering of a strange language, young Mohammadi turned to the one thing he understood and loved - soccer.
"There was one Afghan girl at the school and she helped me a little, but, really, I had to learn English myself. The teachers [at Birkenhead College] were very helpful." As was his ability to play soccer.
He trialled for the first XI and, at 14, was pitched into the big-time. He also played under-17 at Birkenhead United and now has a spot in the club's Northern League first division side under coach Kevin Hagan.
"From the very early days we were aware of Mokhtar," said Paul Marshall, who is assistant coach under Kevin O'Leary at the Nike-sponsored tournament.
"From the outset he showed out as a player with flair and with a good ability to score goals. His lack of English was not really a handicap. Football has its own international language and he understands that."
