Why are the two people killed as the 'halftime show' for the soccer match?

• A. Because the woman had cheated on her husband, so they killed both her and the man she cheated with.
• B. Because it was a celebratory ritual.
• C. Because they failed to pay taxes.
• D. Because they were accused of treason.

Answer: (A)

Public punishment is used here to enforce a strict moral code under the Taliban, turning a soccer match into a brutal spectacle meant to intimidate others. The key idea is that this “halftime show” isn’t entertainment or celebration; it’s a coercive display of authority.

The reason this particular act is carried out is that the woman involved had an affair with a man outside her marriage, and under the regime’s laws that is deemed a crime. Executing both of them during the match serves as a powerful, fear-inducing punishment meant to policing behavior and demonstrate that moral transgressions will be punished harshly, in public.

The other possibilities don’t fit the scene. It isn’t about a celebratory ritual, taxes, or treason; those motives don’t align with the Taliban’s use of public executions to enforce personal and religious codes of conduct.