Jamal tried to console her. “Ignore them,” he said. “They’re cowards behind screens.” But Laila wasn’t used to the spotlight. Every ding of a notification filled her with anxiety. Even at school, classmates whispered about her viral fame. She started deleting her social accounts, but screenshots of her video kept resurfacing.
At the national team camp, Daniel and Jamal found themselves talking late one night about it all. Both had strong on-field performances, but the off-field noise was relentless. “We train to handle pressure on the pitch,” Daniel said quietly, “but no one trains you for the pressure your family faces online.”
