Wahid’s first job was as a waiter in a coffee shop, but he did not take it seriously. He was always late for work and then he fell in with a bad crowd, joined a gang and took drugs like ketamine and marijuana. “We would go out, eat together, have some fun, and get into fights,” he says.
Fighting was a fixture in Wahid’s life at that time. He had a quick temper both on and off the football pitch. Wahid has always been crazy about football, and played regularly at the Sham Shui Po Sports Ground. However, his hot-headedness hindered him from an opportunity to exploit his talent and passion for the game.
He was once hired as a part-time player for Southern District football team, which was still a third division team at the time. But in a match against a Wong Tai Sin football team, he got into a fight with the opposing team members and the referee, earning him a red card and a six-match suspension. The match had taken place during a work break, and his boss was shocked to see him returning to work covered in bruises.
Despite his frequent scraps outside, Wahid has always been a model son at home. He loves his family and, while once he had no problem violating norms in society, he follows every Muslim custom; he never eats pork, he goes to the Mosque with his family at the Islamic New Year and also loves and respects his mother very much. “I didn’t dare to let her know everything I did outside, like taking drugs and joining a gang.” Wahid says.
“When my elder brother knew I was taking drugs, he scolded and beat me,” he recalls. It was this older brother, Tofiq, who suggested that Wahid try out for the Homeless World Cup. Tofiq, had been introduced to the Homeless World Cup by Hong Kong Unison, an organization working for ethnic minorities. He represented Hong Kong in the Milan tournament last year.
At the trials, held in March, Wahid impressed the coach Leung Chi Wing. “He has good pace and technique, he has the qualities a football player should have,” says Ho. After the four-month training period, he had no doubt Wahid would be in the starting line-up of the four-man team from a squad of seven.
