Will Zaki Anwari's death turn the tide against the Taliban? Last week saw chaos, including the tragic fall of a young football star, as Afghans tried to flee from their new rulers.

This was Zaki Anwari, 17 years old, with a bright football career ahead of him. He was followed by another, unknown, falling man. A third man died when the plane's landing gear crushed him during takeoff.

To some, the shocking scene brought back memories of the "falling man" photographed plummeting from the World Trade Centre during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Those attacks sparked the American invasion of Afghanistan.

Zaki, like the majority of the 38,000,000 Afghans, was born after the war began. As a member of his country's national youth squad, he played football in the stadium where the fundamentalistsPeople who believe in the strict or literal interpretation of a religious document. had once staged public executions.

Now, the Americans were withdrawing, leaving Afghanistan's weak government to face a resurgent Taliban. Their advance came faster than many had predicted. Kabul fell. The president fled.

Many Afghans dread the return of the Taliban's uniquely harsh interpretation of Sharia law. Zarmina Kakar, a women's rights activist from Kabul, said that women face a return to the "dark days".

Zaki feared that the dark days would also put an end to footballSpecial American football games are held on Thanksgiving. For decades, the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions have hosted Thanksgiving games at their respective grounds. in the country. Like many Afghanis, he was determined to make it out.

The day after the fall of Kabul, he went to the airport. He could not let his dream of being a footballer die with Afghan democracy.

Future shock

The US military still has control of Hamid Karzai International Airport, from which it is evacuating American citizens and some Afghans. The airport has thus drawn thousands of Afghans hoping to escape. The day before Anwari's death, some had managed to board a cargo plane.

But that Monday, the plane took off without stopping for passengers.

The crowd surged forwards anyway. The Americans tried to disperse them. As a star athlete, Zaki was among the first to pull himself onto the plane. He clung on as it soared higher, but he could not hold on forever.

It is thought that 80,000 Afghans might be in danger of retaliation from the Taliban for their involvement in the US occupation. If the US sticks to its planned deadline for withdrawal by the end of August, many of those people could be stranded. That number does not include the tens of thousands who simply do not wish to live under the Taliban.

Will Zaki Anwari's death turn the tide against the Taliban?

No. His death is a symbol for the failure of the Afghanistan war. The Taliban has tightened its grip on power. Without a strong support base the Taliban would have disappeared. They clearly have the upper hand. A war that lasted longer than Zaki Anwari's entire life has ended in defeat for the dreams of his generation.

Yes. Afghanistan is a young country, these young people will not tolerate the Taliban's lash. There is a generation of educated women and men who have only known democracy. The Taliban will not be able to cling on to a country that has changed. The new Afghanistan of Zaki Anwari will win in the end.