Credit, Joe McNally/BBC
In a dark room in Cairo, a 13-year-old boy stares at the television screen, barely blinking.
The screen lights up and Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. appears directly addressing the boy, in Arabic: Zaher, mahaba or 'Hello, Zaher' in Arabic.
Zaher barely moves, his eyes wide, fixed on his favorite football player.
We first met Zaher a year ago, in the ruins of Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.
He was a small, quiet child, scarred by war — one of millions whose lives have been turned upside down since the country's army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began fighting in 2023.
More than 17 million children need humanitarian assistance in Sudan, according to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The organization claims to have verified that at least 4,300 children were killed or maimed, although it believes the real number is much higher.
Zaher had lost both legs in a drone strike. With little access to specialized treatment, he dreamed of the day he could walk and play football again.
More than a year later, as we enter an apartment in the Egyptian capital, Zaher welcomes us with a huge hug. His mother, Habibah, also hugs us.
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The boy we remember as shy and withdrawn is almost unrecognizable. He is confident, cheeky and always smiling. And he is standing erect, with two new prosthetic legs.
For almost a year, Cairo has been his home. Here, he underwent surgery and months of rehabilitation, and is now able to walk and kick a ball again.
When we met in 2025, he told us that his favorite football player was Vini Jr. We managed to relay this information to the Real Madrid star, who said he wanted to send a personal video message of support. Gathered in Cairo, we watched together.
"I heard about your story. I know how difficult the last few months have been for you", begins the Brazilian player, in Portuguese.
Vinícius has become an important voice in combating racism in football and supporting the black population, and a smile spreads across Zaher's face when the player describes him as "black, hard-working and a fan of Vini Jr."
"I hope you can enjoy your new prosthetics, that you can play football again and that you can be very happy, because you deserve it", says the player.
Then comes the invitation: "I would also like to invite you to come to a Real Madrid game and meet me and spend a day with me."
Excited, Zaher gets up and leaves the room. A few moments later, he returns wearing his new shirt from Vinicius Jr's football team. He hopes that one day he will get a visa and be able to accept the invitation to go to Spain.
“Tell Vinícius that I love him,” he says. "His message really lifted my spirits."
Zaher's mother, Habibah, says she feels "like the whole world is rooting for Zaher, wanting him to succeed."
Credit, Liam Weir/BBC
Zaher lost his legs in 2024 when he and his mother were trapped in Khartoum. Much of the city had become a battlefield, devastated by fighting between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
Food and basic supplies were scarce and the family did not have enough money to flee. To survive, they sold lentils on the streets.
Then one morning, while Zaher and his mother were working side by side, a drone attacked.
"I looked at him and he was bleeding. There was blood everywhere," Habibah explained last year.
She was devastated. "He would wake up and ask, 'Why did you let them cut off my legs?' I couldn't answer."
At that time, Zaher moved in a wheelchair through the rubble of his neighborhood, passing burned-out cars, abandoned tanks and destroyed houses.
Before the war, Zaher loved football. After the drone attack, he could only play on his knees, a painful process that put him at risk of serious infections.
"I would like to have prosthetic legs so I can play football with my friends like I used to," he said at the time.
There seemed little prospect of that happening, but his story resonated far beyond Sudan, sparking an outpouring of support from people around the world.
Among them was Dena Latif, a lawyer of Sudanese origin based in the United Kingdom.
After seeing the BBC report, she helped lead an online campaign that raised £45,000 for his medical treatment.
Unable to get the necessary treatment in Sudan, Zaher had to leave the country, which was not easy. He and his mother did not have passports and their birth certificates had been destroyed during the war.
After months of planning, he and his mother were able to travel to Cairo, where an apartment had been prepared for them, with food in the refrigerator and doctor appointments scheduled.
For the first time in years, their immediate concern was no longer simply how to survive.
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Zaher underwent yet another surgery, followed by months of physical therapy and training to learn how to use his prosthetics. He also received psychological support to help him deal with the trauma he had suffered.
"He was shy, a little depressed, sad," says Dr. Bintelmuna Eltayeb, one of the doctors involved in his treatment. "It was almost impossible to get a smile out of him, but now you can see he's laughing. He has a lot of self-confidence."
His transformation was as much psychological as physical, say those close to him, and Dena says Zaher now approaches life with a determination that has surprised them.
As we spend time with Zaher, he laughs and jokes, partly making up for the childhood that the war stole from him.
He is eager to try new things, from horse riding to cycling, and wants to become an airline pilot. He hasn't played football yet, but he's looking forward to playing with his friends when he gets home.
For Habibah, seeing his son regain his confidence brought enormous relief. But she worries about his future, his education and how he will be received in Sudan, a country still mired in civil war.
Credit, Anadolu via Getty Images
The state of emergency was lifted in his hometown of Khartoum and the Sudanese army resumed control. But across the capital, buildings were left destroyed — burned, charred and looted.
Security concerns persist and 41% of Sudan's population faces high levels of food insecurity, according to a recent statement released by the US and 30 other Western countries. The group also warned of the "potential for famine."
"I hope Zaher's story doesn't end with him," says Dena. She hopes her recovery will bring more attention and resources to the thousands of other young Sudanese people who have suffered life-changing injuries.
Zaher and his mother are already back in Khartoum. They hope that since the city is more stable now, he can have his prosthetics checked and adjusted as he grows.
Despite the security they found in Cairo, they missed home, family and friends. And while Zaher had the chance to reclaim his childhood, millions of other Sudanese children are still waiting for theirs.
Additional reporting by Scarlett Barter and Abdelrahman Abutaleb
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