Shikofa (23) was born in Afghanistan and came to Austria at the age of twelve. The trained retail saleswoman has been working in a bakery for seven years. She has always wanted to play football. Shikofa is sociable, reliable and curious.

Place of birth
Ghazni, Afghanistan

Education/occupation
→ Retail saleswoman

I came to Austria in 2014 when I was twelve years old. My father was already here. The country was new to me and the language was difficult, but overall it wasn't as hard as I had thought it would be. I quickly felt at home here. I live with my parents and siblings near Vienna. My sister Masuma also plays football at Kicken ohne Grenzen and is an assistant coach.

     I grew up with both Afghan and Austrian culture. I like both cultures. For example, I like the coffee house culture here. I think it's nice that people take the time to meet up and chat with each other.

     If I hadn't come to Austria, I would probably still be in Afghanistan. Maybe I would have finished secondary school. I would probably just be at home – because of the strict Taliban regime. In Afghanistan, boys were always freer than girls. They could do whatever they wanted. They were often outside playing football. I played with dolls with the girls, but I always wanted to play football with the boys.

»In Afghanistan, boys have always been freer than girls. They could do whatever they wanted.«

Sometimes I played with my cousins in the garden or on the street. If other families had seen us, they would have talked badly about us. Girls weren't allowed to play football.

     On my first day in Austria, I went with my uncle to a football match my cousin was playing in. When I saw that a girl was also playing, I thought: Then I can play too. At first, it was strange to play with boys, but over time you realise that it doesn't matter whether you're a girl or a boy – you can play together.

     I started playing football at school in 2015. In 2018, I found out about Kicken ohne Grenzen (Football Without Borders). A friend told me about it. I felt at home at Kicken ohne Grenzen right from the start. There were lots of girls there and it was always fun. I loved seeing how football brings people from different backgrounds together and how we grew together as a team.

»There were lots of girls there and it was always fun.«

Through Kicken ohne Grenzen, I have learned how important it is to connect people through football and give them a voice. I have become more confident and independent. This helps me in my work and in life in general.

     I have been working at the Gragger & Cie bakery in Vienna's first district for seven years. That's where I completed my apprenticeship as a retail saleswoman. I stayed there because I liked it. But I'm still young, so I can try something new. I'd like to take a break and then look for a new job. Maybe I'll become a tram driver. I'd like to see if that's something for me. You have a big responsibility to get people safely from A to B, and you see people all the time. I think that's nice.

     I've met lots of people through football and travelling with Kicken ohne Grenzen. I'm very curious and like to see what other people do, how they live, and whether I can learn something from them. I want to continue working on my self-confidence so that I can realise my plans for the future.

»Through Kicken ohne Grenzen, I have learned how important it is to connect people through football and give them a voice.«

Fotos: Karo Pernegger
Interviews: Birgit Riezinger

Diese Geschichten wurden im Rahmen des 10-jährigen Jubiläums von Breaking Grounds protokolliert.