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 initial American invasion of Afghanistan and the overthrow of the Taliban.

Zaki, however, like the majority of the 38,000,000 Afghans, was born after the war began. He had never known Taliban rule. 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, after 20 years, the Americans were withdrawing, leaving Afghanistan's weak government to face a resurgent Taliban. Their advance came faster than many had predicted. On 15 August Kabul fell. The president, Ashraf GhaniThe Second president of Afghanistan since the war, assuming office in 2014. Prior to leading Afghanistan, he was an expert in failed states.  , fled.

Many Afghans, especially from urban areas, such as Kabul, and from the Hazara minority, 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.

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.

Future shock

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

The crowd surged forwards anyway, desperate to make it on board. The Americans tried to disperse them, even firing smoke grenades. As a star athlete, Zaki was among the first people to pull himself up 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 helping the US occupation. If the US sticks to its planned deadline for withdrawal by the end of August, many of those people could be left stranded. That number does not include the tens of thousands, like Zaki, who simply do not wish to live under the Taliban.

On his last post on Facebook, Zaki urged everyone to stand up for freedom. "You're the painter of your life. Don't give the paintbrush to anyone else."

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

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

Yes, say others. Afghanistan is a young country, and these young people will not tolerate the Taliban's lash forever. There is an entire 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 and left them behind. The new Afghanistan of Zaki Anwari will win in the end.