MOHAMMED Tufeal Khan is more than a footballer.
He is a symbol of courage and the determination to return to the sport he loves after suffering a life-changing accident.
In 2025, Khan completely lost his right eye in a motor vehicle accident.
A year later, he was back on the football field, helping Seaqaqa defeat Tavua in the Senior Division playoff last weekend and earn promotion to the Super Premier Division for 2027.
For Khan, being back on the field is a victory in itself.
“I lost an eye in an accident. It was the worst day of my life,” he said.
“I couldn’t describe the feeling.”
Khan endured severe pain weeks that followed.
All the doctors at the Labasa Hospital could do was prevent his eye from inflammation, it became clear that there was little they could do to restore his eyesight.
But amid the pain, one fear stood above everything else, that he would never play football again.
“People said I will never be able to return to playing football again.”
The first touch
After spending sometime in hospital, Khan was back home.
The first thing he did was pick up a ball as he wanted to know whether he found the balance of kicking the ball.
“I started to juggle, I failed at it,” he recalled.
“I couldn’t even do three juggles. I was heartbroken.
“And worse enough, I couldn’t stand out in the sun for more than 10 seconds. I cried. I was like, ‘Tufeal, you’re done. You won’t be able to play football.’”
The tears rolled because, for the first time, the possibility of life without football felt real.
A mother’s faith
When Khan was struggling to see a future beyond his injury, his mother refused to allow him to give up.
She became his source of strength.
“Son, believe in God and believe in yourself. Patience is a virtue,” she would remind him.
India trip for treatment
Khan’s went to India in the hope that specialists could restore his eyesight.
He underwent medical examinations at the Eyesight Avenue Hospital, but the news was not what the family had hoped for.
There was little that could be done to bring his vision back.
“We returned home feeling the world had turned dark on me,” he said.
Khan walked away from football.
He could only watch the games and look back at old videos of himself playing in local community competitions.
Those memories gave him comfort.
Then came another blow.
An old video he uploaded on Facebook had a friend sent him a message.
It suggested his football days were now over and that he could only watch games and upload old videos.
“It broke my heart. I was left speechless. I cried,” Khan said.
He later told his father about the message.
His father’s response gave home hope.
“Recover properly and you will rise again,” his father told him.
Those words stayed with Khan.
Back to basics
Once Khan had found some balance in his life, he decided to give football another chance.
He approached Seaqaqa coach Mohamed Imran.
Imran encouraged him to return to football.
“Imran’s motivation opened up the opportunity for me to play again,” Khan said.
But there was no shortcut, it was back to basics.
He had to relearn the game he had played since childhood, this time with one eye.
“I started with the basics again, like I did when I was nine years old.”
Old club rehab
Khan’s Amrut Park Boyz teammates played an important role in that comeback.
They helped him train and slowly introduced him back into contact football.
“My teammates played easy whenever I had the ball at my feet. They would say, ‘Let him take the ball. No one should tackle him.’”
They understood that Khan needed time to regain his confidence.
Then came a moment that perhaps showed him he was ready.
During a game, his best friend Tariq Jahmeel challenged him hard from his blind side.
Khan went crashing to the ground.
His friends were not impressed.
Jahmeel felt bad, but then told his best friend that the hard knock would make him stronger and prepare him for whatever might come his way on the football field.
“This will make you strong, and you will rise,” said Jahmeel.
Khan took it on the chin and smiled.
The full competition comeback
Slowly, the confidence returned.
The ball once again felt familiar at his feet.
And the boy who once cried because he could not complete three juggles was back playing competitive football.
Today, Khan stands on the field with one eye, but with the same passion for the game he had before the accident.
“I represent Seaqaqa in Extra Premier League games and was part of the team that beat Tavua in the playoff and got promoted to Super Premier Divison in 2027,” Khan said.
His journey has been supported by his parents, siblings, wife, grandparents, family, friends, teammates and coaches.
And, above all, the Seaqaqa football family.
“Today I’m here again on the field with everyone’s support and prayers and a champion,” he said.
“Thank you Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters, wife, grandparents, family, brothers and friends. Without you guys, I wouldn’t make it.
“Thank you Seaqaqa family for your love, support, prayers and contributions.”
Khan’s story is not simply about losing an eye.
It is about refusing to lose sight of a dream.
He lost an eye but it never took away his love for the game.
He rose again as a champion footballer.
