44Faisal made the difference at the start of the second half. He was faster and stronger than Jordan, and he made himself a target for Hasan and the other boys. He came close twice, then Sam noticed Hasan swapping wings. Sam slipped the ball through, and Hasan put on a burst of speed. He jinked this way and that, then slotted the ball through to the waiting Faisal.

1–1.

Now it was all Celtic. Yew Tree did their best, but the ball kept coming back at them. Something had to give … and it did. Celtic got three corners on the run. The third time Hasan swung it in, Faisal did an overhead kick, sweeping the ball into the roof of the net.

2–1 to Celtic.

Faisal got his hat-trick with a penalty. 3–1. 45

With two minutes to go, Faisal turned provider. He went on a run. Now that Yew Tree were playing deep and trying to stop Celtic getting any more goals, Sam came forward. Faisal saw him racing down the field and rolled the ball to him. Sam ran onto the ball and hammered it through into the goal. The team celebrated as if they had just won the Champions League. Jordan didn’t join in. He walked away with his head down.

“Ignore him,” Kai said. “He’ll get over it.”

Sam turned to Faisal. “Are you OK walking home by yourself?”

Faisal didn’t answer, so Sam made him an offer. “It isn’t far out of my way,” he said. “Why don’t a few of us go together?”

Faisal didn’t live far. Hasan, Sam, Kai and two other boys went with him. At the street corner, they saw three teenagers. 46

“What’s this?” one of them said. “Are you his bodyguards?”

Sam had an answer. “We’re his mates. Leave him alone.”

One of the teenagers shook his head. “It was only a bit of a laugh,” he said.

47“Hitting somebody isn’t a bit of a laugh,” Kai said.

The teenagers started walking away. “Suit yourselves,” one of them said. “We’ve got better things to do than talk to a bunch of kids.”

Faisal watched them go, but it was Hasan who spoke. “Thanks for coming with us,” he said. “It makes a difference.”

“No worries,” Sam said. “We’re a team.”

48

Refugees and football

REFUGEES AND FOOTBALL

Some refugees have become top footballers.

Saido Berahino, now a Stoke City player, made his name at West Bromwich Albion. Saido is a quick, skilful forward. He was born in Burundi in East Africa. His father died in the Burundian civil war. Saido travelled to England on his own at just ten years old. His mum and siblings had already left Burundi before him to escape the fighting, and he met up with them again in the UK.