Lebanon Of Footballer Celine Haider was about to make her dream of playing for her country’s women’s team a reality, but the 19-year-old has been put into a medically induced coma after being injured in an Israeli airstrike.
Selene Haider’s family was among more than a million people who fled south Beirut and other Hezbollah strongholds due to Israeli bombardment after fighting broke out in September.
“But Celine had to return to (south) Beirut for her education and training,” her father Abbas Haider told AFP news agency.
He said that ‘after the announcement of evacuation or the bombing intensified, she would leave the house and then she would return home to sleep at night.’
Now he is another player, who became a victim of Israeli attacks. The attacks have already forced the Lebanese Football Association to indefinitely suspend football competitions in their country.
On Saturday, her father called to warn her of new evacuation orders posted online by the Israeli army, and she left home.
But soon after, ‘my wife called me to tell me Celine was in the hospital,’ he said.
She was seriously injured in an Israeli attack on her hometown, when the air force struck the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The skull was fractured
The video, which shows Celine Haider lying unconscious on the ground, her face covered in blood, while a young man near her cries in pain, has taken Lebanese social media by storm.
An unidentified handout photo obtained from the Lebanese Football Association on Nov. 19, 2024 shows Lebanese footballer Celine Haider celebrating with the tournament cup after a soccer match in Jordan (Lebanese Football Association via A FP)
His mother, Sana Shahroor, told the news agency AFP that the attack happened nearby and hit him in the head. My daughter has a brain haemorrhage, her skull is fractured.’
Shahroor said her daughter had sent her a message, asking her to cook her favorite dishes, but ‘an hour later her friend called to say she was injured.’
“My daughter is a heroine, she will rise,” he said. His eyes were red with tears.
He said, ‘She used to dream of competing abroad. She wants to be like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. She wanted to be a star and wanted everyone to talk about her.
Now everyone is talking about her because she got injured in a war she had nothing to do with. They have shattered their dreams.’
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Warriors in the field
Haider was a key player for her club Beirut Football Academy (BFA), which won the Lebanese Women’s Football League last season without dropping a single point, and is set to take over as captain this season.
The midfielder was also part of the national women’s under-18 team that won the 2022 West Asian Football Federation Championship.
Team manager Ziyad Saadi said that he is now in a medically induced coma.
“Doctors are monitoring him closely,” his father told AFP from Beirut’s St. Georges Hospital.
‘But her injuries are serious, we hope she will recover slowly,’ said her father with teary eyes. We are paying for something that is not our fault.’
Lebanese authorities say that more than 3,544 people have been killed since the exchange of fire between Hezbollah and Israel began in October last year.
“On the field, she is a warrior, playing in the middle position to get the ball to the strikers,” coach Samir Barbari said during her visit to the hospital. She is a phenomenal girl and a great player.’
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What are Celine Haider’s accomplishments as a young footballer and her dreams for the future?
**Interview with Abbas Haider, father of Celine Haider, Lebanese footballer injured in airstrike**
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us today, Mr. Haider. It’s a very difficult time for you and your family. Can you tell us about Celine’s journey and her aspirations in football prior to this tragic event?
**Abbas Haider:** Thank you for having me. Celine is just 19 years old and was on the brink of realizing her dream of playing for Lebanon’s women’s national football team. She had trained tirelessly, driven by her passion for the sport and her admiration for great players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Celine had so many dreams of competing and making everyone proud, but now all of that feels shattered due to the unthinkable circumstances we find ourselves in.
**Interviewer:** It’s heartbreaking to hear. Could you share what happened leading up to the airstrike that injured her?
**Abbas Haider:** We had been living in fear due to the ongoing bombardments. Our family, like many others, evacuated from southern Beirut initially. But Celine needed to return for her education and training. With the renewed threats and evacuation notices from the Israeli army, she was very alert and cautious. On the day she was injured, I had just called her to warn about the latest orders, and she quickly left home. I was hopeful she would be safe, but shortly after, I received the devastating news that she had been severely injured in an airstrike.
**Interviewer:** It must have been incredibly shocking for you and your family. How is she doing now?
**Abbas Haider:** Currently, Celine is in a medically induced coma. She suffered a brain hemorrhage and her skull was fractured. It’s a nightmare we never anticipated. We have seen distressing videos on social media of her lying unconscious, and it has really struck a chord with many in Lebanon and beyond. We are praying for her recovery, but the uncertainty is overwhelming.
**Interviewer:** What has the response been from the community and the football associations regarding Celine’s situation?
**Abbas Haider:** The community is heartbroken. There has been an outpouring of support on social media, as many remember her as a promising young athlete. However, the ongoing violence has led the Lebanese Football Association to suspend all competitions indefinitely, which just underscores how deeply this situation affects not just Celine but the entire sporting community in Lebanon.
**Interviewer:** As Celine continues her fight, what message would you like to share with the world about her and the situation in Lebanon?
**Abbas Haider:** I want the world to know that my daughter is a hero in my eyes. She had aspirations like any young girl — to chase her dreams and to shine in her chosen field. This war has taken so much from us, including our dreams, but I believe in her strength and spirit. I want everyone to remember Celine as she was, a fighter on and off the field, and to realize that young lives are being irreparably changed by this conflict.
**Interviewer:** Thank you, Mr. Haider. We hope for Celine’s recovery and for peace in Lebanon soon.
**Abbas Haider:** Thank you for your kind words and for bringing attention to her story.