After moving to the United States from Yemen, Ahmed Dhalai quickly became obsessed with Richards soccer.
Dhalai wanted to play for the Bulldogs so badly that he showed up to a tryout when he was in sixth grade.
“All my friends were older then and they were talking about tryouts,” Dhalai said. “At that time, it was my second year in America and I thought I could just be on the team, but my friends told me I had to be in high school to play.
“I went to watch, but when I saw everyone put on their cleats, I was like, ‘I can’t miss this,’ so I said I was a freshman and I went out there.”
Dhalai drew some attention but knew he could not continue with the ruse.
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“The coach thought I was good,” Dhalai said. “He was asking my friend who I was. My friend was like, ‘Man, you better not show up tomorrow.’ So, I didn’t go back after that because I was only in sixth grade.”
A few years later, however, Dhalai altered history for Richards.
The junior forward led the Bulldogs this season to the program’s first regional championship.
Dhalai, the 2022 Daily Southtown Boys Soccer Player of the Year, scored a school-record 35 goals and dished out nine assists. He also became the program’s leader in career goals with 67 heading into his senior season.
Dhalai was a regular spectator at Richards games when he was in junior high. He would dream about turning around the struggling program.
“I would always go watch them play,” Dhalai said. “It was something I couldn’t wait for. They would talk about how Richards had never won a regional. I’d tell people that when I got to high school, I’d help them win one.”
After a pandemic-shortened freshman season, Dhalai raised some eyebrows as a sophomore in 2021 with a 27-goal output. But the Bulldogs went just 7-12-5 and lost 2-1 to Goode in a Class 2A regional championship game.
Team success was what Dhalai really wanted.
“After we lost that regional, the next day, I was on the field because I knew I had to do whatever it takes to win that regional this season,” Dhalai said. “There was nothing that was going to stop us.
“Over the summer, I worked night shift from 12 to 9 a.m. I’d go straight to the field and practice from 9 a.m. to noon. It’d be so hot and I’d be tired after working, but I’d get out there and try to make myself better.”
Richards coach Rafal Slomba saw that drive in Dhalai rub off on his teammates.
“Coming into this season, not only did he pick up his IQ on the field and get better at some things that weren’t his strengths, the biggest thing is he how he became a leader,” Slomba said. “He understood it takes a full roster to push a program in the right direction.
“Sometimes, when kids are at that level, they get complacent. But he was one of the hardest workers every day and he was always trying to get better.”
Dhalai scored the lone goal to lift host Richards to a 1-0 upset over Bremen in a Class 2A regional championship game.
“We had a corner with about 15 minutes left and the ball hit a defender and was bouncing in front of the box,” Dhalai said. “I came in and shot it in. Then we won 1-0. That’s something I’ll never forget. I’ve probably watched the video 1,000 times already.
“There’s a lot to remember about this season. This is going to live forever.”
Dhalai helped the Bulldogs, who finished with a 15-10-2 record, earn respect.
“People used to think Richards was an easy game,” Dhalai said. “We wanted to show people that Richards wasn’t an easy win anymore. I told the guys, ‘We’re going to change this whole thing.'”
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.