Shafaq Ayobi

Los Angeles Times: As far back as he can remember, soccer has been part of Shafaq Ayobi’s life. As a 7-year-old shepherd in eastern Afghanistan’s Laghman province, he kicked around a ball that he and his friends formed from scraps of cloth. Each day, as he made the seven-mile journey from home to the grazing area for his family’s livestock, he carried the ersatz ball. “While the animals would graze and drink water,” he said, “I would play.” Click here to read more (external link).