Afghan girls soccer team in Portugal gets surprise visit

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Girls from the Afghanistan national soccer team who were recently granted asylum in Portugal have had a surprise visit from the captain of the senior team. Farkhunda Muhtaj flew into the Portuguese capital Lisbon for an emotional reunion with the girls’ team late Wednesday. She is a professional player who from her home in Canada spent weeks helping arrange their recent rescue from Afghanistan. As the sun set over the River Tagus, the girls aged 14-16 and their families gathered on the riverbank and hugged and kissed Muhtaj amid smiles and tears. The rescue mission was called Operation Soccer Balls and took weeks to put together.