Mareb Alward

By Mareb Al-Ward Since my childhood, football had found its way into my heart in a way that’s hard to describe. I didn’t first come to know it through stadiums or clubs, but rather through the television screen — through Japanese anime that filled us with passion and the spirit of competition. And that unforgettable series — Captain Tsubasa — was the spark that lit it all. I watched it with eyes glowing with dreams, as if I were living inside it — running, celebrating, and grieving with every scene. From there, my love for football began to take root deep within me, becoming part of my daily life: beside the house, in the alleys of our neighborhood, and later on the school playground, especially during middle school. One of the things I loved most was accompanying my father on his weekly trips to the city for shopping. Sometimes I went after much pleading, and sometimes when he saw me sad, he decided to cheer me up by taking me along. We used to travel in a Toyota Land Cruiser fro...