Photo/Illutration Zaki Anwari died while trying to flee Kabul airport (Captured from Zaki Anwari's Facebook account)

BANGKOK--Zaki Anwari's dream before the Taliban takeover of Kabul was to play professional soccer abroad. He was so desperate to flee the Taliban advance, he clung to the wheels of a U.S. military aircraft taking off from the Afghan capital only to fall to his death.

Zaki Anwari was good enough to make Afghanistan’s under-16 national team, but when he heard reports that the Taliban was taking control of large swathes of his country, he felt it was time to escape.

In a telephone interview with The Asahi Shimbun, Rahil Abid, 16, talked about his friend’s last hours.

On Aug. 16, Abid received a phone call from Anwari who said: “Soccer practice has stopped because of the Taliban. I must leave the country if I am ever to fulfill my dream.”

Abid told his friend he would miss him, but wished him the best of luck.

Later that night, Abid heard about his friend’s horrific death. A mutual friend sent a photo of Anwari, but he was barely recognizable due to the injuries he sustained by his fall from the U.S. military plane taking off from Kabul airport. 

Abid blames himself for not stopping his friend.

“He was one of my best friends, but I cannot attend his funeral because it is so dangerous outside,” Abid said.

Shams Amini, 37, was a photographer for the national soccer team and recalled how Anwari would always ask him to take photos of him.

Amini, in a phone interview with the Asahi, said: “Anwari was an outstanding midfielder. He was a very friendly person who always wanted me to take photos of him during practice.”

Other Afghan soccer players paid smugglers huge sums of money in hopes of reaching safety and asylum in Europe.

“Anwari is not the only one with broken dreams,” Amini said. “There were other youths who were captured near the border or who were on smuggling boats that got wrecked. There is no exit unless risks are taken.”

Thousands of Afghans poured onto the runway of Kabul airport on Aug. 15 and 16 and surrounded U.S. military aircraft involved in emergency evacuations. The chaotic situation is still continuing there.

At least two people, including Anwari, died after falling from departing planes. Others were trampled to death on the runway.

On Aug. 17, the U.S. military forced the crowd outside of the airport fences, but some young Afghans managed to clamber over the barrier.

According to residents living in the vicinity of the airport, Taliban fighters have been firing warning shots or whipping those trying to enter the airport.

According to the U.S. Defense Department, about 5,200 U.S. military personnel are on hand at the airport to maintain security. So far, no fighting has broken out with the Taliban.

About 7,000 people have been airlifted out of Kabul airport and another 6,000 or so have completed departure procedures and are awaiting a flight out, according to an Aug. 19 U.S. State Department announcement.

Related News