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Afghan football star helps Mexican streetkids score World Cup goal

by Sophie Hares and Valeria Cardi

Yelling commands and lunging for the ball on the balding astro turf, Khalida Popal drilled the team of nine Mexican teenage girls through soccer training, weeks before they jet off to Russia for the World Cup - the street children's version.

For Popal, former captain of the Afghan women's football team, soccer can open new avenues and boost self-esteem for the Team Mexico girls, who laughed and high-fived as they tackled and scored in the baking heat.

"When you enter the pitch, you forget about everything. The only thing you think about is the ball and the game - that's the beauty of football," said Popal, who was forced to flee her homeland after death threats.

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