APL

Rahmatullah Khostay loves three things more than anything: his family, Afghanistan and football. He developed his passion for the game as a child, playing on the dusty barren grounds of Khost Province with his brothers and cousins. As a young man he dreamed of competing in an Afghan professional football league, but his hope of doing so dwindled because of the lack of security in Afghanistan.

Before the Roshan Afghan Premier League, Khostay played professionally in Miranshah, a town and administrative headquarters of the North Waziristan Agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. "Security has been a big problem in Khost for a longtime. It was not possible to keep one's family safe much less establish a football league, so I went to play in Pakistan. RAPL has made professional football in Afghanistan a reality. RAPL brought me back to Afghanistan."

Kostay was recruited by De AbasinSape in 2013 through the league's regional tournaments. He can't describe the feeling of joy he experienced when he learned that he had made the team. "I am happy to play in my home country and represent Khost. I don't have any complaints from playing in Pakistan or Pakistani people, but I am happy that I do not play there anymore." This year he was chosen as captain of De AbasinSape.

Rahmatullah's stature is tall and lanky. He speaks to you with a formal and respectful demeanor, as if he is addressing a judge. His hair is messy and long and he boasts a boyish smile that can light up a room.

I sat with Khostay and his De AbasinSape teammates for a few minutes at the RAPL players house. While I was exchanging pleasantries with the group, Khostay abruptly interjected and declared  loudly, "We should do the interview in the next room, Mr. Ahmadzai." When I asked why, he responded with, "My teammates will make faces and make me laugh and I won't be able to answer any of your questions." We all shared a laugh at Rahmatullah's nervousness and then left for the room next door.

Rahmatullah comes from a big family of 10 siblings. He went over their names, but only naming the males and leaving details about the women out, so I didn't ask. Although Afghanistan has made strides in the direction of progressivism during the last 13 years, it is still very much a tribal society that exists here. Rahmatullah is a Pashtun. In traditional Pashtun culture it is a sign of disrespect to directly address a women in someone else's family. The acceptable way is by using the word "whara," which means adolescents. 

All of Khost, including Rahmatullah's family will be watching when he leads De AbasinSape against Mawjhai Amu on Thursday September 18th at 3:30 PM. The match will be broadcasted live on TOLO TV, Lemar TV, Arman FM, and Arakozai FM. It will also be viewable on the RAPL YouTube channel
(https://www.youtube.com/afghanpremierleague).