Refugee camps to Rockhurst: How two young soccer players are making a difference in KC

Mohamed Abdalla and Baradin Ahmed met at a refugee camp in Kenya. In 2017, they moved to Kansas City, where their love for the game and passion for others has only grown in scope and impact.

All they had when they came to America was each other and the beautiful game. But when they were younger, they clearly preferred one of those over the other.

“I used to hate Bahar (Baradin),” said Abdalla, who turns 15 Saturday. “We used to go to the same school, (and) we used to fight all the time.”

Ahmed, 15, nodded as he remembered their life together back in Kakuma Refugee Camp. As of data collected in 2020, Kakuma was home to more than 200,000 refugees.

“We didn’t like each other because he lived in Kakuma three and I lived in Kakuma four,” Ahmed said, referring to the sectioning system into which the camp was divided.

Abdalla was born in Kenya to Sudanese refugees, while Ahmed was born in Sudan. The war forced Abdalla’s parents to flee to Kenya — they had lost “everything,” Abdalla said.

While Abdalla and Ahmed may not have gotten along at Kakuma, they credit their time there for sharpening their love of soccer.

“We grew up making a soccer ball (by) using bags and socks,” Abdalla said. “We used to burn the side until it became like a soccer ball shape.”

Their first edition of that ball was too light, so they put dirt in the socks to give it more weight.

Fast-forward to 2017. Abdalla had moved to Kansas City before Ahmed. On the night Ahmed arrived in Kansas City, too, Abdalla paid his old “enemy” a visit.

“From there on, when he came to my house, we knew we couldn’t be enemies,” Ahmed said. “He’s the only person that I have (here), and I’m the only person that he has. So we had to work together to create a bond and a friendship that grew stronger and stronger over time.”

The two were enrolled in Kansas City International Academy (KCIA). They shared the same homeroom classroom taught by Ms. Lauren Weeks.

“They never left my brain,” Weeks said.

The impact Abdalla and Ahmed had at KCIA can’t be overstated. They stayed after school to clean up Weeks’ classroom daily before getting on the bus to go home.

“They actually lift up other students; they lift up teachers,” Weeks said. “They’re just very good role models and examples.”

Weeks says the two are considered legends at KCIA — other students still talk about them and the effects they had on their lives.

“That’s one of the things that stuck out to me, is they have left a legacy at their former school, and that’s who they are,” Weeks said.

The pair now plays for local youth soccer club Global FC, which together with the Kansas City Current won the Nationwide 2022 Community Impact award from the National Women’s Soccer League.

In addition, Abdalla and Ahmed now attend Rockhurst High, where they play soccer as freshmen.

They were honored as Blue KC Sporting Samaritans during Sporting KC’s MLS match against the Colorado Rapids on Saturday. Former Sporting KC star Matt Besler has been running point for the Sporting Samaritans program since his playing days, recently enlisting the help of young Sporting player Kayden Pierre.

While most Sporting Samaritans have been teachers, Besler embraced the opportunity to honor the two boys.

“I’m just impressed with how they carry themselves,” Besler said. “I could not imagine that background. They’re well-spoken, they’re confident, they look you in the eye, and I don’t think that I would be in their position if I had to go through what they went through.”

The two were able to get on the field before Saturday’s game, taking in warm-ups from the touchline, and then watched the match from a suite.

“It’s just fun to be able to play a very small part in providing them such a cool experience,” Besler said. “And one of the best things is just seeing the smile on their faces with the little things.”

Abdalla and Ahmed seemed to enjoy being close to the action. They marveled at the professionally manicured playing surface of the field and seeing Sporting KC captain Johnny Russell up close and personal.

Weeks, their former teacher, was a Sporting Samaritan three years ago. She said that during her experience in 2020, all she could think about was Abdalla and Ahmed. She was thrilled to see them receive their own game-day experience.

“They’re very deserving, polite, respectful gentlemen and they have a passion for soccer,” she said. “I just thought their story needed to be told.”