《Rise of a Football God》


 Chapter 1: Football Compendium

    *FOOTBALL:


    Football is a game of 11 yers in each team where both teams y with a ball, with the main purpose of putting the ball post your opposition''s posts into the. Once the ball is in the, your team scores a goal. The team with the most goals at the end of the game wins.


    *FORMATIONS:


    In football, there are multiple formations in which teams y depending on the favored tactic of a team''s coach. Formations can either be attacking, bnced, or defense-oriented formations.


    *PLAYER POSITIONS:


    There are 4 main yer positions in football, goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and attackers.


    The role of a goalkeeper is to stand between the post to stop balls from going into the. He is the only yer allowed to handle the football with his hands, but this is restricted to only inside the 18-yard box.


    The role of a defender is to defend against opposition attackers and prevent them from scoring goals.


    The role of a midfielder is to control a game and orchestrate y. They are the creators bncing and connecting the whole game.


    The role of an attacker is to score a goal using any means possible, either pace, dribbling ability, or direct shooting power.


    *18-YARD BOX AND 6-YARD BOX:


    A goalkeeper''s area is the 6-yard box extending from the goal line, while the penalty area is the 18-yard box outside the goal area. Put simply, the goal box is the smaller of the two boxes and the goalkeeper''s box is located inside the penalty area.


    *GOALLINE AND TOUCHLINE


    Goal line is the straight line between the two posts of a goalkeeper that also extends through that whole side of a football pitch. It is the line the ball must cross before a goal is acknowledged as scored.


    In a football pitch, the shorter straight line sides are called the goal line where the goalkeeper''s post is, while the longer sides are called touchlines.


    When the ball goes outside the touchline, the referee calls for a throw in. If it goes outside the goal line, it can either be called for a corner kick or a goal kick.


    *CELEBRATIONS:


    After scoring a goal, footballers are known to celebrate their goals in unique ways. There are multitude of goal celebrations, some iconic to specific football yers like the Suii celebration synonymous with the Portugal legend, Cristiano Ronaldo, made famous during his time at Real Madrid.

 Chapter 2: An unforgettable night

    28, May, 2011¡­


    ¡­


    Woof! Woof!


    The sound of the dog''s barking frightened the little 6-year-old as he instinctively clung closer to his dad.


    Feeling the fear of the little boy, the bald-haired middle-aged man smiled. He gently patted his son on the head to alleviate his fears as he stared at the dog.


    "Sam, don''t be scared of Bingo, he feeds on your fears".


    "Next time a dog barks at you, bark back, it''ll leave you alone". He chuckled.


    The boy nodded timidly as they passed the territory of the dog.


    This father and son duo walked through a dirty street with potholes that were filled with mud water.


    This was just one of the many streets in these outskirts of Nigeria.


    There were buildings here and there, with some shops sprinkled among them. Along the road, a few kids ran carefreely without a care for the bikes moving up and down, ying with a dirty brown football stered with mud.


    "I''m Messi!"


    "No, I''m Ronaldo, Ronaldo is better!"


    "Goal!" Sam could hear them shout, he looked at the older children with a bit of envy in his eyes, up till they overdid it, hitting a ball too high as it hit the roof of one of the nearby residential buildings.


    Silence¡­, then a window opened in the second floor of this building.


    "Paul!" The loud voice of an angry old woman reverberated the next moment, the kids didn''t wait to hear her say more as they ran.


    Sam watched them as they ran.


    He looked up at the big hotel at the other side of the road whose bright lights now illuminated the world.


    It was already gettingte at night, so the bright lights of the hotel were especially prominent, attracting his attention.


    Sam lived here in Abraka, a city in Nigeria with his family.


    His family was a small family of 4prising his dad, his mom, him, and his younger sister who was just 3 years old.


    He rarely left home since his mom always locked him indoors. His ticket for going out today with his dad was a straightforward one, one that left him excited, a ticket that could override his mom''s wishes.


    Mr. Moses, Sam''s father was an avid football fan, a hobby that Sam''s mom had tried hard to kill for years to no avail.


    The football club that he supported was FC Barcelona and today, 28 May 2011, Barcelona who were already the champions of Spain was to y the UEFA Champions League final against Manchester United, the champions of Ennd.


    This was why Sam was so happy this night.


    Though he barely understood the nuances of the game at this young age, his father still did enough to ingratiate the love of football in him already. And of course, like his father, he supported FC Barcelona.


    Sam was hyped for it, he clenched his fists, thinking. ''I hope we win''.


    ''Of course we''ll win,'' he smiled instinctively. ''Father is so confident''.


    ''And we have Messi, we also have Xavi and Iniesta, of course we''ll win''.


    A few minutester, they arrived at the popr viewing center. It was a big caravan building with a few dozen benches and 2 big TVS. A few of his dad''s friends who recognized him hailed him from a distance as they spoke.


    "Big Moses, you brought your son today? How bold of you, are you not scared of your club losing face in front of your son?"


    "Not a chance". Mr. Mosesughed exuberantly. "Today, there''s no other oue, my club is definitely winning".


    While the older men engaged in their normal football banter, a curious Sam just clung close to his dad while observing.


    At some point in time, his dad sent him on an errand to get him a bottle of coca c drink. Sam already made a name for himself in his home for how swiftly he executed errands, his stamina was insane at this young age.


    And of course, today again, to not miss out on any of the action, Sam ran the whole distance in record time without breaking a sweat before handing the bottle of coca c to his dad who immediately started sipping away.


    He observed all the benches in the popr viewing center that were now upied by mostly adults. He observed the 2 big TV screens on the wall that were now showing the football pitch.


    This year''s UEFA Champions League final was to be yed in Wembley Stadium in London. Sam knew because his dad always spoke of Wembley.


    About a minuteter, Sam was finally seated with his dad.


    Looking around, he realized that he should be the shortest viewer here. Sam didn''t care though; this was because he could feel the excitement in the air.


    All the adults were excited and hyped for the game, so naturally, he also became hyped. ''Come on Barca!'' He thought excitedly.


    And then, the game started.


    Just like most of the world expected, from the onset of the game, Barcelona dominated. Under Pep Guardi, Barca already built a dynasty, bing the most feared football team in Europe and on this night, it showed.


    Besides, this was not just any game, it was also kind of a grudge match between these 2 heavyweights of European football as Manchester United already lost against FC Barcelona on this same stage 2 years ago.


    It was the perfecting of age ceremony for the young and passionate Sam.


    On that night, like they promised, the inevitable midfield trio of Xavi, Iniesta, and Sergio Busquets shone as Barca dominated possession.


    ying beautiful tiki-taka football, pinging the ball left and right, Xavi dictated the game till all of a sudden, from the right, after a short driving run, Xavi Hernandez threw in a cross into the running path of Pedro who hit it wide.


    "Oh!" Moses, Sam''s father jumped to his feet as he screamed in frustration. "So close!" He muttered intensely.


    Sam stared at his dad, feeling all his overflowing emotions. His father''s mood was infectious, it affected Sam and so he rode on it.


    He focused back on the game.


    Despite the Spanish club''s domination, Manchester United were still the best team in all of Ennd. The maverick English team held their nerves, defending like a unit, running all over the pitch as they soaked in the pressure.


    Yet, inevitably, it didn''t take too long, one team took the lead first at the 27th minute of the game.


    Xavi Hernandez threaded a cutting pass to Pedro Rodriguez on the right who after a simple touch to control the ball rifled it into the bottom right corner.


    The legendary Manchester United goalkeeper, Edwin Van Der Sarr was left sprawling helplessly on the ground.


    As soon as the ball entered, all hell broke loose.


    "Goalll!" All the Barcelona fans in the viewing center rose up in celebration, roaring at the top of their voices.


    Mr. Moses, Sam''s father was one of the front runners of the celebration as instinctively, Sam also jumped, celebrating with his father.


    "Up Barca!" They chanted.


    With that first goal, the game opened up as Barcelona dominated even further. On that night, Lionel Messi was terrific as he tormented the Manchester United backline with his dizzying agility, touch, and dribbling.


    But then, against the run of y, Manchester United stung like a bee out of nowhere at the 34th minute of the game.


    Sam could never forget thementator''s voice.


    "This is Rooney¡­"


    Wayne Rooney, the Manchester United center forward passed the ball to Ryan Giggs who controlled it with a deft touch before cing it back in the rampaging center forwards'' path and Rooney did not miss his chance, he seized his moment with aplomb.


    "And Rooney!"


    Before Sam knew it, the ball was already in the back of the and the mute Manchester United fans since finally erupted like an ancient Dragon that had been slumbering for a millennium.


    "GOALLLL!"


    They celebrated wildly like they already won the game.


    That night, Sam felt his passion for football bloom than ever before. To him, it was no longer just FC Barcelona vs Manchester United, rather, it felt more like him, his father, all Barca fans vs the Manchester United fans.


    At that young age, Sam had no words to describe what he felt, it was just exhrating.


    The first half ended with the scoreline draw, but the second half started even more explosively than the first as FC Barcelona went on a riot and of course, one figure was at the center of it all, Lionel Messi.


    It came from nowhere.


    Receiving the ball in the halfway line from Andres Iniesta, the Barca no. 8, Messi drove forward with the ball a bit then all of a sudden, vroom! A powerful driven shot and the ball was in the back of the.


    Messi''s powerful left-footed shot was explosive, bursting into the bottom right corner as the stadium erupted in cheers. Edwin Van Der Sarr stood no chance.


    Where Sam was, the viewing center also erupted in cheers.


    "Messi!" "Messi!" The Barcelona fans started chanting.


    Once the celebrations died down, the game continued. Manchester United tried to turn things around to no avail.


    Like a tyrant, Barcelona kept a firm grip over the game as they kept on dictating proceedings, dominating possession till thete stages of the game.


    Manchester United was run ragged.


    Xavi Hernandez and other star Barcelona yers had their chances but Edwin Van Der Sarr was on top of his game, keeping his team in the game.


    Lionel Messi kept on tormenting the Red Devils'' backline and in the 69th minute of the game, the game was finally put to bed.


    After another bursting Messi run from the right, causing chaos in the United backline, Busquets got the loose ball and pushed it to David Vi who didn''t think twice, curling the ball into the top right corner of the post.


    "GOALLLL!"


    Sam celebrated with his dad and all other FC Barcelona supporters.


    That was enough to seal the game.


    For the remaining minutes of the game, it was just Barca dominating, throwing passes left and right, controlling the game.


    It was prime Barca football.


    And when the final whistle finally blew, Sam ended up creating a memory, a cherished memory of an unforgettable night.


    On that night, he became a die-hard FC Barcelona fan.


    On that same night, something else blossomed. ''I want to y football!''

 Chapter 3: Doomed aspirations [1]

    12, May, 2018¡­


    ¡­


    It was a bright sunny day.


    The skies were clear and the scorching heat of the sun descended on the world without mercy, immting everywhere with its heat.


    The old zinc of the ssroom made creaking sounds as the metal expanded due to the heat of the sun.


    This was one of the numerous ssrooms of Abraka Grammar School. It was already 3:15 in the afternoon, thest lecture for the day was about toe to an end and of course, the students were happy.


    Not all of them were happy though, one of them was anxious.


    It was a cute boy with silky ck hair and a handsome face. He had an old hand-down wristwatch on his wrist with which he kept track of the time.


    "Hey". A voice called in a muffled tone.


    "Sam, stop looking at your wristwatch so much, the teacher will notice and he''ll only end up prolonging the ss even after the closing bell is rang".


    "He better not!" Sam gritted his teeth. "I have a trial match to y".


    His best friend sighed. "I''ve told you countless times already, get off it Sam. With what happened to you 2 years ago, you should temper your expectations".


    "Having such high expectations will only end up hurting you".


    "I don''t care Ian," Sam stared at his best friend. "I hate school. Whether the devil likes it or not, I''m going to give my all and make it as a football yer".


    His best friend sighed. "Suit yourself then".


    Yes, this was the once small and na?ve Sam. 7 years on from that unforgettable night, Sam was now 13 years old and he was in JSS 3, about to write his junior WAEC examination.


    His mind was not on the examination though, rather, all his attention was on the trial match that was being carried out in his town by scouts from FC Barcelona.


    For the first time in years, European scouts came to Nigeria and they came to his town. Coincidentally, these scouts just had toe from his beloved club.


    To Sam, this was a fate carefully designed in heaven.


    This was his moment and he needed to seize it.


    This was why he was getting impatient with this ss.


    Sam looked at his best friend. "The trial games for the scouts are scheduled to hold for 3 days and the first game today is starting in less than 15 minutes, I can''t wait anymore".


    "Please tell my sister that a teacher sent me on an errand and that she should go ahead, we''ll meet at home".


    "Sam, but¡­"


    "Thank you Ian, I owe you one". He blinked and smiled at his best friend.


    Bending down from his chair, obscured in the chaos of the crowded ssroom, Sam snuck out.


    Immediately after sneaking out of the room, he found a corner and immediately changed from his school uniform into an FC Barcelona jersey that he boughtst week.


    Slinging his bag across his back, Sam embarked on a sprint.


    He didn''t stop running until he arrived at the university building in Abraka. The trial games were scheduled tomence in the big field in the university.


    Sam arrived to see a big crowd. Trials from Europe came. In an African country like Nigeria, this was a big deal and students of the university gathered in droves to watch the trial games of the first day.


    By the time Sam arrived, it was already past 3:30 and the first game already started. The man whom he registered with for a fee of 1,500 naira, Coach Samson looked at him with a grimace "You''re justing".


    "Sorry Coach, I was held up by something really important".


    The coach scoffed. "What is more important than impressing the scouts? Children of nowadays really don''t take football seriously, no wonder the national team keeps on faltering in the big football stages, unseriousness like this".


    The coach red at him. "Runps at the touchline, that''s your punishment. If I feel benevolent enough, you may y today".


    "Sorry coach, thank you". Sam bowed and immediately ran away.


    On the touchline, he started joggingps up and down the field even as he looked at the European scouts.


    He prayed. ''Please God, make it work out today''.


    More than 100 under-15 youths registered for the tournament and they were grouped into 4 different teams. Team A to Team D were to y the tournament.


    On the first day, Team A would y against Team C, and Team B wouldter y against Team D for their first leg matches.


    On the second day, the second leg matches would be yed.


    The 2 losing teams will be eliminated while the 2 winning teams will make it to the final where they would y in a final game to impress the scouts.


    Sam hoped to make it all the way to the final game and win. His team was Team A.


    The first half of the game was a cagey affair as the youths ran at each other with exuberant energy, eager to impress.


    There were tackles flying left and right, and some pieces of individual brilliance mixed in the y but the score remained tied.


    When half-time came, their captain, a 15-year-old boy named Wale who also had the decision-making powers over the team addressed his teammates. This was when he sighted Sam in the back.


    "Thank God". This boy muttered under his breath.


    He went up to meet the coach. "Coach, Sam can y, right?"


    Coach Samson looked at the 13-year-old who was taller than his age, he nodded. "Yes, he already served his punishment, he can y".


    "Good," Wale smiled. "Sam, get ready, you''ll enter in the second half".


    When second half came, Sam was finally introduced into the game, recing Theophilus as the attacking midfielder of Team A.


    FWEEEE!


    Once the ref''s whistle was blown, from the first kick of the ball, it was clear that something changed in the game.


    It was just a single change, a handing over of the baton between midfielders but in just 20 minutes, Sam was able to steal the show.


    He was 13 years old, younger than most of his opponents but he bossed the midfield battle with his unreal physicality and impressive technical skill.


    All these attributes paled inparison to his core footballing attribute though. His most important element on the football pitch was his stamina.


    Sam ran himself to the ground, winning tackles, spraying passes left and right to his teammates, while also going on solo runs with the ball.


    In the 74th minute of the game, the deadlock was finally broken as Tega, Team A''s striker caused chaos in the opposition 18-yard box.


    Despite his dribbling, there was no space to shoot, Team B was defensively disciplined but this striker''s vision enabled him to see the iing midfielder.


    Instinctively, Tega pushed the ball slightly, setting it up for Sam.


    Sam did not miss his moment; he took it with aplomb.


    His right leg hit the ball like a rifle.


    BAM!


    Team B''s goalkeeper was rooted to the spot as the ball flew on a curve before tearing into the top left corner of the post.


    "GOALLL!!!" Sam jumped, celebrating exuberantly with his teammates as they rushed to the corner g.


    Once the game restarted, Team B became even more physical, jumping into dangerous tackles as the game became even more cagey but in the 87th minute of the game, it was Sam again.


    Surrounded by opposition yers, he had the physicality to shrug them off, the vision to spot his teammate, and the skill to pull off the perfect pass.


    It was a simple tap-in as Wale, the captain scored the second goal of the game. Team A celebrated again as Wale pointed at Sam, giving the credits to him.


    After the 90th minute, the ref added 3 more minutes and a minuteter, dribbling into the box with the ball again, Sam yearned to get his 2nd goal of the game. This was when one of the opposition center backs slid in ruthlessly.


    His opponent''s boots caught his ankle as Sam was aggressively brushed off his feet.


    He screamed as he clutched his knee in pain.


    "Ref, penalty!" Wale shouted.


    The ref gave the opposition center back a straight red card. Team A yers were happy, celebrating but when they finally turned to their teammate, this was when they noticed the tears on his face.


    Sam was not faking it; he was in pain.


    Wale''s face changed as he rushed closer. "Sam, where does it hurt?"


    In the 91st minute of the game, Sam''s aspirations were doomed. Tega, Team A''s striker took the penalty, converting it beautifully to make it 3-0 for his team but their victory was marred by the injury to their star yer.


    Sam felt like he was cursed, his whole world came crumbling down.


    He broke down in tears. ''This ankle again?''

 Chapter 4: Doomed aspirations [2]

    (First day- 1st leg fixtures)


    (Team A vs Team C: 3-0)


    (Man of the match: Samuel George; 45 minutes yed, 1 goal, 1 assist)


    ¡­


    (Team B vs Team D: 2-2)


    (Man of the match: Muhammad Yusuf; 80 minutes yed, 2 goals)


    Fwip!


    The electronic sound of a device reverberated as the white Spanish scout scrolled through the data on his iPad.


    He was a Spanish man with neatly trimmed brown beards and brown hair. He wore a casual tracksuit topliment the hot climate of his current location.


    He inclined his head to look at the ck Nigerian coach standing before him. "That boy in the first game, Samuel, right? He''s good but I can''t help but notice the sudden injury he sustained at the end of the game".


    He stared at the Nigerian coach in the eye. "You know who I work for so don''t y games with me, be sincere, tell me his injury history".


    Coach Samson sighed. "Like you said, Sam is good, he has always been good, better than his mates but 2 years ago, he had an ident".


    The Spanish coach looked at him, leaning closer as he was suddenly more interested. "What happened?"


    The Nigerian coach sighed again. "When Sam was 11, while ying a football game in the neighborhood, he was unlucky enough to be on the end of a rough tackle and he ended up twisting his knee".


    "It left him bedridden for months, but the past year already showed that he lived past it, I never expected him to suffer this again".


    Hearing that, the Spanish coach shook his head and focused back on his iPad. "Samuel," hemented idly. "He would have made a very fine midfielder if properly groomed".


    "Mr. Gerard, what do you mean?"


    The Spanish coach looked up again at the Nigerian coach. "No offense but Nigeria doesn''t have the best reputation when ites to the medical sector".


    "Most of your yers whose skill were recognized by scouts and taken abroad to y football had their careers ruined by injury, and this can be attributed to the poor medical facilities of the country".


    "I''m sorry, but Sam is no longer in my considerations".


    "Only the best of the best can get the rare opportunity of being integrated into the famed La Masia academy".


    "Scouting an injury-prone yer won''t do my credentials much good".


    Coach Samson had a pained looked on his face but he nodded in a mature manner. "I understand¡­, what a pity". Hemented still.


    Focused on his iPad, the Spanish coach spoke again. "Tell me more about that Muhammad Kudus, I am more interested in him".


    "Wale too, for his age, he''s already showing admirable leadership traits and his mentality on the field ismendable".


    "For the first day, my eyes are on these two".


    "Ok, Mr. Gerard".


    With that, both coaches started their work and analysis long after the yers who participated in the first day games already left home.


    Of course, after dislocating his ankle, Sam could not go home alone. His best friend who crashed in on the venue of the tournament after school was the one at hand to call for help to carry the 13-year-old boy home.


    Getting home, Sam met a storm.


    "Ohhhh Jesus!" He was met with his mom''s dramatic wailing.


    "This boy will not kill me!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. "Stop ying football, that''s all I ever demanded from you".


    "Is that too much to do for your mother, the woman who took you in for 9 months and pushed you out with her waist? Is that too much?"


    "Take this knife," Mrs. George pushed a knife into her son''s arms. "Take, Sam, take, take and kill me!"


    "Just take my life!"


    Sam felt guilty, he was also in a world of pain, he could barely focus.


    His dad already left to beg the local bone corrector toe attend to his son. Almost 40 minutester, 40 minutes of agony for Sam, the skinny middle-aged man finally arrived with his dad on a dirty white singlet and banana boxers.


    His breath reeked of alcohol. "This leg again," he said with a frown immediately as soon as heid his eyes on Sam.


    For the next few minutes, Sam felt like Lucifer himself came from hell to drag him to the abyss as he felt agony while the man worked on his leg.


    About 2 dozen minutester, he felt better but the pain lingered.


    The middle-aged man called his dad aside and whispered to him but Sam eavesdropped so he heard everything. "His leg is gone". The man said.


    "He can''t y real football with that anymore, it''s like an egg, if he doesn''t want to be cripple, he must pamper and take care of it".


    There were a few seconds of silence as Mr. George turned his head to spy on his son, and then he finally spoke, thanking the man sincerely.


    Apparently, he woulde back everyday to check on the ankle.


    Once the man left, as his dad entered the sitting room of their single room apartment again, Sam broke down in tears.


    He couldn''t hold them back, he just couldn''t.


    "Come here, my son". His old man drew him into an embrace.


    Once he was done crying his eyes out, he faced his mom''s lecture.


    "No football again!" She screamed in his face even as tears rolled down her eyes. "Promise me".


    Sam stared at his mom.


    "Promise me!"


    Silence.


    "Promise me Sam or just kill me now!"


    Tears welled in Sam''s eyes again. He looked at his younger sister who was just 10 who sat timidly at the corner, then back at his dad. His dad refused to meet his gaze, averting it. Seeing that, his tears flowed freely.


    "Promise me Sam!"


    Sam looked at his mom with tears and snot all over his face. "I promise".


    "No ying football, no watching football".


    Sam nodded. "Yes mom".


    "Including you too!" She turned to re at her husband.


    He didn''t look her way; he could only grumble an ''ok'' in reply.


    After that did she finally pull her son into her motherly embrace, consoling him and attending to his leg. She soon left to go make Sam''s best native food, fufu and Banga soup.


    Alone, Samid down on the floor, ignoring the numbing pain of his ankle as he looked listlessly at the ceiling.


    And like that, this chapter of his life came to an end.


    ¡­


    2 dayster, the oue of the European talent trial was decided.


    Against all odds, on the second day of the tournament, Team C pulled off a great upset, scoring 3 goals in the final 5 minutes of the second leg game, ending the game 4-1 and 4-4 on aggregates to take the game to penalties.


    Team A lost in penalties.


    In the second fixture of the day, Team D prevailed over Team B after a cagey affair that ended with a boring 1-0 scoreline and 3-2 on aggregate, enough to take Team D over the line.


    In the final, Team C thrashed Team D 5-2, winning the tournament.


    The top scorer of the tournament received a mary prize of 200,000 naira, the best yer received a mary price of 300,000 naira, while the real lucky ones were the 2 lucky yers selected by Mr. George, the Spanish coach.


    Out of 100 under-15 yers, Muhammad Kudus and surprisingly, Wale were the chosen ones who got the once in a lifetime opportunity to go to the famed La Masia Academy to train on a schrship.


    Sam learned of the result but he didn''t pay much attention to it.


    Afterall, it no longer concerned him.


    His football career was over, or so he thought.

 Chapter 5: 18, December, 2022

    18, December, 2022¡­


    ¡­


    Sam was asleep, he had a dream.


    ''No football again!''


    ''Promise me!''


    ''Promise me Sam or just kill me now!''


    ''Promise me Sam!''


    ''I promise''.


    Ha!


    With a startle, Sam woke up from his sleep only to be subjected to the re of his sister. Looking at his sister who for some reason seemed even taller today, he coughed awkwardly. "Umm, sorry".


    "You were dreaming again, right?" She scoffed. "Come eat, mom already made food".


    "Ok, I''ll be there before you know it". Sam stretched and stood up from his bed. The big bed and bedframe never seemed to amaze him, it still seemed like a luxury despite it already being 2 years.


    A few years ago, he didn''t have a room of his own.


    Standing up, he went straight to the bathroom to watch his face.


    In the bathroom, after watching his face, with no shirt on, Sam stood motionless, staring at his body, his current self.


    Fat cheeks, fat legs, and a slightly protruding belly, an atrocious physique which was onlyplimented by a fairly handsome face in his standards.


    4 years ago, Sam never imagined himself looking like this but here he was, facing reality.


    It was already 4 years since the European trials'' ident¡­


    During this time, though asionally, he was still haunted by the trauma. Sam managed to stick with his promise to his mom, abstaining from football as he didn''t even watch the 2018 World Cup.


    This was how, well, he became like this.


    Sam didn''t quiet regret his decision though. Afterall, football abandoned him first, it was only natural that he abandoned it back.


    During these past 4 years, things went fairly swimmingly for his family. His dad got the government job that he always wanted, improving their standard of living in the process as they moved into a 3-bedroom apartment.


    He was 17 now, and just yesteryear, he graduated from secondary school.


    As for his dream career? Sam wanted to be a doctor now.


    He wasn''t exactly sure if it was because of what happened to him 4 years ago, but since then, he got this yearning to be a doctor.


    This was what pushed him to bing a science student. Now, 17 years old, his dad registered him in the nearby pharmacist shop to get practical experience.


    Apparently, if things go well, in a year, he would be admitted into medical school. Life was going just as he wanted, so Sam was happy.


    Going to the sitting room, he enjoyed a sumptuous African meal with his family before waving his dad on his way to work and kissing his mom goodbye. He was ready to go to the pharmacy shop.


    "Oh! I forgot my bag". Eximing, he went back to his room to get his bag.


    He left it on his bed yesterday.


    Getting to his room, he was right, the bag was there waiting for him. Picking up the bag though, Sam froze, this was because of the face towel that stared at him there. It was not the face towel itself, but its design.


    It was designed in vibrant blue and red colors, and on its center had words imprinted.


    (Lionel Messi #10)


    Staring at that number and the name, Sam grimaced. ''Right, Ian gave this to me yesterday as a gift, apparently he wants to go out with me''.


    ''For what again?''


    Then, his eyes widened. ''It''s today?'' Quickly picking up his phone, he hesitated before doing something he had not done in a long time, he went to a football site and quickly, he saw it.


    (2022 World Cup- 18, Dec, 2022)


    (Final: Argentina ¨C France)


    (Time: 4:00pm Nigerian time)


    Sam grimaced again at the sight. "I''m not supposed to be doing this," he mumbled before quickly leaving the site. "I''ve changed, I no longer like football".


    Casually throwing the towel to the side, he went to work.


    His manager was the first person to greet him at the entrance to therge pharmacist shop. "Hey Sam, how are you doing? You should have heard right?"


    He was baffled. "Heard about what?"


    "The world cup final of course! Everyone is talking about it, apparently, the old G.O.A.T is going up against a young G.O.A.T!"


    Seeing the baffled look on Sam''s face, the middle-aged man was exasperated. "C''mon boy, do you live under a cave? It''s all over the inte, it''s Lionel Messi vs Kylian Mbappe, all my kids won''t rest about it, even the girls".


    "The girls are all over Mbappe, while the boys are Messi".


    "It''s a literal war in my house, its annoying but also exciting". He chuckled. "You''ll watch it too right?"


    "I intend to broadcast it here in the shop".


    "No, I¡­," Sam paused, his jaws dropping in shop. "Wait, what? You intend to show the football match here in the shop?!"


    "Yes," the middle-aged man winked happily. "It''s free publicity, and I bet that more customers wille today than usual".


    Sam looked at this middle-aged man, suddenly feeling light-headed.


    "I heard you once yed football, so you should know a thing or two more than I do which means you''ll definitely watch, right?"


    Sam nodded absentmindedly. "Yeah". In his mind though. ''Definitely not!''


    For the rest of the morning, Sam tried to avoid his manager, he seeded in that but in the grand scheme of things, it was futile.


    From his fellow intern co-workers to the veteran pharmacists, heck, even the customers, the only thing that was in the lips of everyone today was just 2 different phrases. "Argentina vs France".


    "Messi vs Mbappe".


    ''What the f*ck!''


    ''What the heck is actually going on?!'' Sam was exasperated.


    At some point, Sam was so suffocated by the atmosphere at the shop that he contemted going home early from work but at exactly 3:30pm, he got a call.


    (Iing call from My Best Buddy¡­)


    Staring at his phone, Sam was wary but still, he picked it up hesitantly. "Hello?"


    "I''m staring at you".


    Stunned, Sam looked straight at the see-through ss doors only to see his best friend standing there, smiling and waving at him.


    Ian was dressed in trendy blue jean trousers and a white and sky-blue jersey, Argentina''s national team jersey. His brown hair was prominent.


    He waved his right hand that held a shopping bag. "I got you one, the jersey".


    "What are you waiting for? It''s less than 30 minutes".


    "Let''s go cheer on your idol".


    "Let''s go watch football".


    Silence...

 Chapter 6: A miracle

    What else could Sam say in the face of his best friend?


    Ian was the person who knew him best in the whole world. Despite the fact that he already abandoned football for 4 years, only his best friend knew that deep inside, he still had that excitement to the mere mention of a football.


    Did he still love football?


    Honestly, Sam did not know the answer to that, after all, football broke his heart but Ian''s words were enough to perform the magic.


    He was like a glutton that had been starved for ages.


    Besides, his mental resistance was already being worn down since morning, he could not bring himself to reject his best friend. ''Even people who don''t watch football normally are going to watch this, what''s the harm in watching?''


    ''Besides, I can''t get injured from just watching, right?''


    ''And who knows? This may be the day¡­, the day my idol finally shuts up all the critics who use his international career against him in arguments''.


    ''The day to finally shut up the haters''.


    Since 2011, Sam had been a big Lionel Messi fan and despite the fact that he left football, that love for the little Argentinian lingered.


    This was enough to make him break his promise to his mom after 4 years.


    He felt a bit guilty, but that was it. ''Mom won''t even know''. He thought.


    In no time, he changed from his top into the Argentina jersey, took permission from his excited boss who granted it easily before he left with his best friend. They were going to watch this game in a ce where he once built so many memories, a certain viewing center.


    Staring at the signpost, Sam paused for a few seconds.


    "What?" Ian asked.


    "Nothing," he shook his head. "I just remembered something, that''s all".


    As they went inside, he said casually. "This viewing center was where I watched my very first full 90 minutes of a football game".


    "Wow, really?"


    "Yeah".


    An awkward moment soon followed though as just taking 3 steps inside the viewing center, Sam''s eyes shed with a familiar face.


    He wore dark shades but Sam could still recognize him immediately.


    ''F*ck! What''s dad doing here?!''


    Father and son averted their gaze, avoiding each other as Ian led his best friend to a good spot where they could see the screen properly.


    Before the game started, the excited viewers supporting both teams were already at each other''s throats as they argued on how the national team they supported was superior to the other, even cing bets.


    This was when one of the rich-looking boys there, Sam guessed he was an inte fraudster shouted. "10,000 naira for every France-supporting fan for every goal that France scores today".


    "Yaayyy¡­! Odogwu!" They shouted, hailing him.


    5 minutes to the game, the atmosphere in the air was already palpable, filled with excitement and anticipation.


    For some reason, Sam could feel his blood boiling.


    It was almost like he never left football. ''This feeling¡­,'' he was scared and excited at the same time.


    And finally, the greatest football game on the started.


    Of course, the voice of the iconicmentator, Peter Drury was the first thing that introduced the excited fans into the world of football.


    ¡­


    The game started neutrally at first, both national teams being cautious, probing each other till Argentina decided to switch it up.


    Of course, France''s acimed defense stayed firm and unbreakable till a moment of madness from Ousmane Dembele left his team in shambles in just the 23rd minute of the game.


    Receiving the ball on the left side of the pitch, Angel Di Maria, the Argentinian winger and no. 7 was up to his usual trickery as with some quick feet and ball shuffles, he left Ousmane Dembele in the dust, charging into the 18-yard box only to be tripped from behind by the French winger.


    "He''s on the ground!"


    "And he''s got a penalty!"


    The viewing center erupted as the ecstatic Argentina fans celebrated the moment.


    Of course, it was the Argentine captain and talisman, Lionel Messi donning the iconic no. 10 jersey who came out to take the penalty.


    Lionel Messi was not the best penalty taker in football but he was reasonably skilled. Yet, for some reason, watching Messi walk forward with the ball, Sam could not help his rapidly beating heart.


    ''He''s not going to miss, is he?''


    Peter Drury dutifully covered every important moment of the game.


    "¡­A heartbeat, and Messi!"


    Messi cooly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner, sending Hugo Illoris of France the other way as the stadium and the viewing center erupted in chaos.


    "GOALLLLLL!"


    The Argentina fans celebrated wildly, taunting their opposition fans in the process who could only watch in envy.


    The celebrations didn''tst too long, the game resumed.


    Everyone expected France to finally bounce back into the game but the Argentina defense in that first half proved even more notorious than the French backline,pletely snuffing out the star-studded French attack.


    Argentina probed and probed till again, it happened. An Argentina moment of magic was all it took to double their lead in the 36th minute of the game.


    This time, it was Messi at the center, ying an unreal pass that started the sequence of events leading up to the goal.


    After a clearance from Emiliano Martinez, the Argentinian goalkeeper and a short pass, Messi received the ball in the halfway line.


    After a deft touch to control the ball, the Argentine maestro yed an unreal pass to the right side of the pitch that opened up the French defense.


    A short pass to Mac Allister who yed it to Angel Di Maria at the leftpletelyid the French backline as open as a pirate website, only thing being that pirate websites were no good.


    Trust the Argentine winger. Di Maria made no mistakes, calmly poking the ball above Hugo Illoris into the back of the.


    "GOALLLL!"


    If the first time, it was a shout, this time, it was a roar. A roar of victory as the Argentine fans celebrated wildly.


    Some even started singing celebratory songs immediately. To them, Lionel Messi and Argentina already won the FIFA World Cup final already.


    All that remained was to hand over the trophy to them.


    Though Sam joined in the celebrations, his was a bit mutedpared to the others. Joy and excitement filled his heart but he masked it.


    He still felt unnatural in the boisterous atmosphere, he still could not bring himself to be fully free in a football atmosphere.


    For the 45 minutes of the first half all the way to the second half and to the 80th minute of the game, Argentina dominated with impunity.


    The France attack looked listless and out of ideas. When the double substitutions of Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann were made, the Argentina fans celebrated.


    To everyone who watched, France already lost, but in the 80th minute of the game, after Dembele''s blunder in the first half for France, it was Nics Otamendi''s turn for Argentina as a moment of madness cost his team, conceding a penalty kick.


    For a moment, the celebrations became muted but they didn''t stop entirely as Kylian Mbappe, the French superstar took the ball to take the penalty kick.


    In the 80th minute of the game, in the FIFA World Cup final, the 22-year-old was tasked with taking a penalty kick to try bringing his nation back into the game.


    You could literally imagine the amount of pressure on the yer.


    Yet, Kylian Mbappe showed no signs of pressure as after a quick nce at the goalpost, he made a shot run and then, vroom!


    The ball was in the back of the.


    "GOAL!" The fans supporting France in the viewing center who had been silent for over 80 minutes could finally vent their frustrations as they roared.


    Their voices were not too loud though, they were still the losing side but for some reason, Sam felt his heart beating faster.


    Though he was no longer fully up to date with football, he did not live under a cave, he had heard of the Paris Saint Germain wonderkid, Kylian Mbappe.


    That goal for the first time in this game finally pulled at his emotion strings. For some reason, he felt tensed. ''Please God, it''s just 10 more minutes''. He prayed but just a minuteter, it happened.


    Again, it was the young wonder, Kylian Mbappe in the 81st minute.


    "Mbappe¡­, Thuram¡­, Mbappe!"


    That was all it took!


    A header, a pass, and a shot¡­, the ball was in the back of the, and a viewing center descended into chaos.


    There were 2 factions, the radical celebrants, and the shellshocked fans.


    "GOALLLLL!!!"


    The French fans roared, ran, and jumped everywhere, celebrating wildly as the previously boisterous Argentina fans were silenced.


    "F*ck!" Sam muttered a curse, clenching his fists tightly as for the first time this game, he lost his cool.


    He looked at his best friend with intensity. "I almost said it, hold that boy, hold that fool, hold Kylian Mbappe!"


    "God! Why did they have to give him so much space?!"


    Ian was surprised at his best friend''s reaction and ended up being the one to calm him down, Sam was already emotional.


    The game restarted and, oh boy, it was fair to say that the world cup final became the battleground for World War 3.


    Messi, Mbappe¡­


    Mbappe¡­, Messi¡­


    These 2 terrorized with the younger one being the greater menace for the final few minutes of the game as both national teams pushed to score and in the 90th plus 2 minutes, well, it was safe to say that Sam''s soul left his body for a moment.


    "Kolo Muaniii¡­!"


    That moment was almost like a scene straight out of his worst nightmare as one-on-one with the Argentine goalkeeper, the young French forward shot at goal only for it to be blocked by Dibu Martinez.


    "F*ck!" Curses rained from both sets of fans in the viewing center.


    A few minutester, finally, the full-time whistle was blown.


    In extra time, the war continued as both teams teased each other but again, it was Argentina who showed up when it mattered most.


    In the 108th minute of the game, the ball was with Lautaro Martinez.


    Jumping to his feet, Sam roared. "Pass! Pass the ball! Pass the f*cking ball!"


    Lautaro Martinez took a shot, it hit the goalkeeper, Sam was already cursing the goalkeeper when Lionel Messi poked the rebound in.


    Jules Kounde, the French fullback did a goal line clearance but goal-line technology judged the ball to have crossed the line.


    "GOALLLLL¡­!!!"


    Unbounded, no longer caring about how he looked, Sam pulled off his Argentina jersey, leaving only his white singlet as he waved the jersey wildly while running to the front of this viewing center.


    By now, he already lost hisposure in the emotion of this incredible football game. Sam was on a high where he no longer cared about anybody.


    He celebrated like a mad man, not caring how he looked. At some point, he even hugged his dad excitedly without knowing it.


    The other Argentina fans also celebrated wildly.


    And then, 10 minutes of more tensionter, it happened, and again, it was the f*cking boy wonder, Kylian Mbappe.


    His relentless pressure and y made Argentina to concede another penalty kick through a handball in the 118th minute of the game.


    "F*ck! I hate you!" Sam cried!


    Literal tears flowed from his eyes as he watched the boy take the ball again, make his trademark short run only to rifle the ball into the again.


    "F*ck you!" Sam screamed frustratedly.


    The FIFA World Cup 2022 final went to penalties.


    Sam''s emotions were at a crescendo. He was almost too scared to watch the penalty shootout but he cared too much at this point, he was too invested to not watch, he forced himself to watch.


    And on the aftermath of that evening, Sam became an Emiliano Martinez superfan.


    The penalty shootout was tension packed.


    The boy who was on god-mode, Kylian Mbappe took the first penalty. He went the same way but again, the mother*cker took his moment with aplomb, rattling the ball into the back of the despite Martinez''s best efforts.


    On this evening, he was like the main character of a novel with plot armor working in his favor as he became only the 2nd football yer in history to score a hattrick in a FIFA world cup final.


    To Sam, he was a cockroach that just won''t die.


    "I hate you!" He mumbled to himself anxiously.


    When Messi stepped up, again, he was overwhelmed by fear, having shbacks to Messi''s penalty miss in the Copa America final many years ago.


    But this time, his worst fears were not realized, Messi cooly slotted his penalty into the back of the.


    Then it was Kingsley Coman, the French winger''s turn to take the second penalty. This was the moment that would go down in history as the Emiliano Martinez moment as the Argentina goalkeeper went full viin mode, engaging in some iconic shithousery to mess with and enter his opponent''s mind.


    It worked.


    Coman kicked the ball well but Martinez dove the right way, tipping the ball away from the.


    "Yes!!!!" Sam jumped up to his feet from where he sat as he pumped his fists excitedly. "F*cking yes!" He screamed for joy.


    The viewing center was in chaos but it soon calmed down again because, there were more penalties to be taken.


    Paulo Dyb went up next, he cooly scored.


    And then, Aurelien Tchouameni of France went up next only to be subjected to more of Martinez''s shithousery.


    The Argentinian goalkeeper was determined to do whatever it took to bring the trophy back home.


    Aurelien stood, he looked, then he took his shot, but dragged it wide.


    "F*CKING YES!!!" Sam jumped to his feet again for joy, excitement and relief written all over his face. "YES!" He screamed.


    The Argentina fans were over the moon again.


    Leandro Paredes stepped up for Argentina next, slotting his ball into the again. It was now 3 to Argentina, 1 to France.


    Randal Kolo Muani stepped up next for France, took his shot confidently and scored, cutting the Argentine lead down.


    And then, the deciding moment all came down to the 4th Argentine penalty taker, Gonzalo Montiel.


    In the viewing center, no fan could sit down anymore, they all stood up.


    Some ced their hands akimbo on their hips, tensed, others with hands on their heads, some partially covering their eyes, and all with batted breaths, they watched.


    Montiel took a shot run, took his shot, straight into the bottom left corner.


    ¡­for a few seconds, Sam''s head glitched, he could not keep up with the proceedings but then, "GOALLLLLLL!!!" A revitalized Sam celebrated in euphoria!


    "Argentina, champions of the world!" Peter Drury once again was at the ready to bless the moment with his iconicmentary.


    "Again¡­, atst!"


    "And the nation will tango all night long!"


    "36 years since Maradona and¡­"


    Sam could not hear more because he was already drunk in the euphoria of the moment. The celebrations were radical and wild even as the France supporters stormed out of the viewing center.


    Sam had never felt this much joy all his life, not even the 2011 Champions league final made him feel this way.


    Exactly how he was feeling¡­, he could not describe it.


    It was just so sweet, so beautiful, so dreamy, so indescribable.


    "Sam, we did it!" Ian hugged him excitedly.


    In the midst of the celebrations was when it all starteding back to him. ''Football¡­, I can''t leave it, I just can''t'', I love it too much''.


    ''Football is me, and I am football, it is what drives me''.


    ''Without football, I''m just a robot''.


    ''But my legs¡­,'' he sighed. ''Only if I could get a miracle''.


    Right at that moment, something inexplicable happened.


    [Your plea for a miracle has been answered!]


    [Congrattions! You have received a reward: Ultimate Football System!]


    [Initializing¡­, please wait¡­]

 Chapter 7: Ultimate football system

    "Umm, Mr. Moses, how on earth did you suddenly appear at the scene again?" A confused Ian asked as he looked at his best friend''s dad.


    Now that he thought about it, those dark shades¡­, he thought he saw someone who looked exactly like this when he just entered the football viewing center with his best friend.


    ''Was he there all along?'' This boy thought. ''But I thought Sam''s mom banned anything football from their family after what happened to Sam 4 years ago''.


    Staring at the 17-year-old boy, Mr. Moses chuckled. "You see my boy, I was not supposed to be there but this friend of mine just couldn''t let me be, he was the one who dragged me there".


    "I refused at first but you know, friends," he chuckled and waved his hand. "They can be so persuasive sometimes".


    "Yeah," Ian nodded, understanding as he could rte it to how he also dragged his best friend to watch the football game. ''So, it''s like that''. He thought.


    But then, Mr. Moses added after quickly ncing around. "Umm, about what I just told you, can you please not tell my wife or my daughter about it".


    "Huh?"


    "Just tell them that after it happened, you were flustered but you still had the presence of mind to call somebody. My number is in Sam''s emergency contacts, you can say you called me through there and coincidentally, I was closeby".


    "That was how we were able to rush Sam to the hospital on time, okay?"


    Ian nodded slowly. "Ok¡­," he scratched his head. "I can do that".


    "Good". Mr. Moses nodded, after which he rubbed his hair; it was the umpteenth time that he was doing it since he came to the hospital.


    And then, he threw a nervous nce at his son who was on the hospital bed.


    He still didn''t know exactly what happened. One moment, he was celebrating exuberantly with all the other Argentine supporting fans present but out of the blue, the celebrations stopped as shouts of rm started.


    Rushing to the scene, to his absolute horror, it was his son.


    Apparently, in the midst of the celebrations, Sam suddenly fainted.


    Without wasting a single moment, he paid to order an uber drive that ferried him, Ian, and his son to the nearest hospital, Abraka General Hospital.


    The Doctor already checked on his son and they said his situation was stable as they put him on bed rest, but their tests was yet to bear results.


    It was already about 30 minutes since they arrived here.


    And just as Mr. Moses had all these thoughts, the door to this ward of the hospital opened again as a nurse on blue nursing scrubs entered.


    She smiled at the middle-aged man. "Mr. Moses, right?"


    "Yes," he stood up immediately. "Are the test results out?"


    "Yes, sir".


    "What is it? What happened to my son?"


    "Calm down sir," she smiled reassuringly. "Sam is perfectly fine and healthy, what happened out there was just a phenomenon caused by cascading emotions".


    "His dopamine levels were too high due to his extreme joy and emotion, to protect his body, his brain had to shut down".


    "That is why he fainted, otherwise, Sam is perfectly healthy".


    Hearing that, Mr. Moses grabbed his head and heaved a huge sigh of relief. "God is still on my side, afterall". He could finally smile again. "Thank you nurse, I¡­"


    Bam!


    The door was pushed open again as 2 women entered, one of them looking extra dramatic as she tied native wrapper round her waist on a ck polo shirt. The other much younger lookingdy wore a simple sky-blue gown.


    These 2 women were Mrs. Moses and Aurelia, Sam''s mom and sister.


    As soon as the older woman stormed into the hospital ward, seeing her husband, she exploded. "Just kill me Moses!" She screamed loudly.


    "Kill me!"


    Mr. Moses reacted immediately, going closer as he grabbed his wife. "My wife, please calm down, you''ll¡­"


    "Just kill me you bad man!" Tears started flowing down her eyes. "You want to kill yourself and my son for me!"


    "What were the both of you doing in the viewing center?"


    "What happened to your promise?"


    "What happened to no more football?"


    "I always knew that the both of you wanted to kill me, take," she brought out a knife. "Take and just end my life because that is what the both of you want".


    "Moses, end my life!"


    Mr. Moses was exasperated. "Sarah, please calm down, Sam is on bed rest, all your noise will wake him up".


    "It''s now you care about his health, abi?" She spoke pidgin.


    "When the both of you went behind my back to go watch a football match, you never saw thising, did you? You both just want to kill me!"


    "S-Sarah," Mr. Moses grabbed his head, frustrated. "Listen to me, it''s not like that, Sam ispletely fine, listen to the nurse first before concluding".


    "It was just the emotions of the moment that caused all this¡­"


    "Emotions my foot!" She screamed. "Those emotions, was it not caused by the football match?"


    "That¡­," Mr. Moses was tongue-tied. "See, just listen to me".


    "I won''t! I will never listen to you!"


    While Sam''s mom was being all dramatic and all, Ian wisely retreated to the corner, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible even as Aurelia, his best friend''s sister walked up to check up on her big brother.


    At the same time, the noise also got to Sam.


    His eyes didn''t open yet but the brain woke his conscious self up. He was the one who decided not to open his eyes.


    This decision was partially because he didn''t want to face the wrath of his mom and also because the moment he woke up, he confirmed that he was not hallucinating, it was real!


    ~-----~


    [Your plea for a miracle has been answered!]


    [Congrattions! You have received a reward: Ultimate Football System!]


    [Initializing¡­, please wait¡­]


    [Collecting host information¡­]


    [Analyzing data!]


    Beep!


    [Initializationplete!]


    [Please wait 5 seconds¡­]


    ¡­


    [Wee to the Ultimate Football System!]


    [Your earnest yearning for a miracle has created one. You have received a system that will help pave the way for you to rise to the top of the football world as the ultimate yer and football God.]


    Host: Samuel Moses


    Current Career Status: Stagnant (Doomed Aspirations)


    Talent Rating: C-


    yer Position: Undefined


    yer Attributes:


    *Pace: 70


    *Shot: 69


    *Pass: 74


    *Dribbling: 64


    *Defending: 33


    *Physicality: 60


    *Stamina: 78


    Overall Rating: 67


    ¡­


    [You have been rewarded with a start-up bonus: Random loot box!]


    [Click to unlock rewards of random loot box!]


    ~----~

 Chapter 8: My mommy is Bruce Lee!

    "Bye!" Ian waved at his best friend after escorting them back to his home.


    "Thank you, my son". Mrs. Moses said with a big smile on her face.


    Sam looked at his best friend, mixed emotions in his eyes. "Thank you¡­," he muttered and paused, then he added. "Thank you for inviting me, I enjoyed myself".


    "¡­!" Ian paused.


    A fiery gaze soon turned his way the next moment. "Wait¡­, what?" Mrs. Moses'' eyes soon shone in understanding, then fury. "Come here! You''re the one who invited my son to go watch a¡­?"


    "Bye Mommy Sam, my dad is waiting for me".


    Not daring to wait to face the wrath of the woman, Ian ran while acting like he could not hear her as she shouted and ranted behind him.


    And with Ian gone, the family of 4 could finally enter their home.


    Aurelia was neutral but Sam and Mr. Moses entered with looks on their faces like their fate was sealed and they were about to face the executioner.


    Well, they indeed were about to face an executioner, the only factor being that this executioner was their own mother and wife.


    Once they entered¡­


    "What are you standing for?" Mrs. Moses snapped, ring at her husband especially. "Did we suddenly run out of chairs in the house to sit on?"


    Her husband coughed and looked at his 17-year-old son, then together, they located chairs to sit on beside each other.


    The events that followed after Sam woke up in the hospital was straightforward and simple.


    The nurse did more checkups on him before confirming that he was ready to be discharged. With that, a bill of 25,000 naira was given to Sam''s father.


    After paying the bills, Mr. Moses took his family on a three-wheeled public transport drive back to their apartment.


    The sitting room was big, well ventted and with a ceiling fan diligently working above them yet for some reason, sitting in this room with this woman, Sam and his dad could not help but sweat and fidget.


    In the end, Mr. Moses spoke first, staring at his wife. "What?"


    "What do you mean what?"


    "Why are you staring at me with that eye?"


    "Why won''t I stare at you with that eye?!" She snapped.


    Silence¡­


    A few secondster, she spoke again. "What in the name of God were the both of you doing in a viewing center?"


    "George was the one who dragged me over," Mr. Moses scratched his head. "Besides, the world cup final is the biggest game of football and its only yed every 4 years, so¡­"


    He stared at his wife. "I wanted to enjoy myself, can''t I do that anymore?"


    Hearing that, this woman red at her husband even more intently. "The nerve of you!" She raised her voice. "Would you have told me that if something happened to Sam today? Huh?"


    "What if he died? What if our son died? Is that what you would have told me? It that it?!"


    "Why do you keep on tempting the devil? Just why?!"


    Hearing his mom rant on, Sam continued fidgeting where he sat without saying a word. Sometimes, listening to his mom''s dressing downs, he didn''t feel like he was facing a normal human being at all, rather it felt like something else.


    Something like¡­, ''f*ck! My mom is Bruce Lee!'' He thought.


    Some words, Sam could not even understand as his mom missed pidgin, English, and their nativenguage to rant at his dad.


    But this time, Mr. Moses refused to budge. "What is it?!" He finally snapped.


    For the first time in forever, Sam saw his dad get angry at his mom. "Why do I have to live such a restrained life? I''m not a child!"


    "Stop this, stop that¡­, can''t I live life to the fullest anymore?"


    "Everything happens for a reason, including Sam''s mistake. Sam loved football, he followed his passion and yed, then he got injured".


    "Did he ever tell you that he regretted ying football because of the injury?"


    "No! You imposed it on him, telling him to stop entirely, why?" He red at his wife. "All because of your selfish desire to not see him anywhere close to a football. At this point, I really don''t know if its overprotectiveness or just selfishness".


    Sam''s mom opened her mouth to speak but no words came, tears were what flowed from her eyes instead.


    "It''s the tears again". Mr. Moses threw his hands up. "I''m the bad person now, right?"


    "Gosh, I''m tired". He stood up, taking his phone and storming outside.


    By now, tears were already rushing down Mrs. Moses'' face as she stared at her husband. "I can''t believe you said that to me because of football".


    Mr. Moses turned. "Why can''t I do what I love? I love football".


    "Now, I hate it even more," she snapped again". "I hate it!"


    Without saying a word further, Mr. Moses left.


    His wife screamed at him from behind. "No football!"


    "Not in my house, not in my family, no football!"


    Mr. Moses didn''t answer, he already left and his wife was left crying. Like statues, frozen, Sam and Aurelia could only stare at the ground without speaking.


    "What are you 2 staring at? Go to your rooms!"


    "Yes, mommy".


    "And you, no football! Ever again!"


    Sam stared at his mom.


    "No football!" She screamed. "I mean it".


    "Yes mommy".


    That night, the energy in the Moses home was incredibly tense and oppressive. Mrs. Moses refused to make food, leaving her children to starve and for the first time in forever, Sam''s father slept out at night.


    Sneaking out of their room at night, the 2 siblings heard their mom crying at night while praying. The atmosphere was incredibly somber.


    Sneaking to the dining room, they stole snacks from the fridge to eat.


    By now, it was already past 10 at night.


    Of course, Aurelia did not miss her chance to use her selfish older brother for sowing discord in the home and making their mom cry. Sam felt incredibly guilty.


    In the end, by 11:00pm, Sam was alone in the sitting room.


    His sister already slept, his mom was still sobbing in her room, while his dad was still somewhere outside. Picking up his phone, he dialed his dad''s number.


    "The number you''re trying to call is currently busy, please try againter¡­"


    Sam grimaced. Lost in his thoughts, drowning in his guilt, he could only look at the ceiling. He looked long enough till his thoughts became nk.


    And in the nkness of his thoughts, the euphoria of today finally starteding back to him.


    Removing all the unpleasantness that followed him, without a doubt, Sam was sure that this was the best day of his life.


    And this football game was undoubtedly the best game of his life.


    Picking up his phone again, he essed the inte for reactions, this was when he finally saw the multitude of reactions to Argentina''s world cup win.


    The reactions brought a smile to his face and also made him remember something. "The system," he muttered. "It''s real".


    Right at that moment, the virtual blue screen shimmered into existence before his eyes again.


    Despite seeing it before already, Sam was still startled by it.


    He touched it but his hand went through it like it was a mirage.


    He sighed. "It''s now or never".


    Sam was still overwhelmed by the many things that happened today, he was yet to figure out a lot of things but what he knew what that if this system was really real, he wanted to check it out.


    First of all, he wanted to open his reward.


    ~----~


    [You have been rewarded with a start-up bonus: Random loot box!]


    [Click to unlock rewards of random loot box!]


    [im reward!]


    ~----~


    Sam clicked on the im reward and this time, his finger didn''t pass through the holographic image, the square-shaped loot box blinked before disappearing.


    Fireworks and celebratory ribbons were made and the next moment, a banana appeared on the screen.


    ~----~


    [You have opened random loot box!]


    [Congrattions! You have received a high-grade vitality fruit!]


    >Vitality Fruit: This is a miraculous fruit that is capable of healing all injuries incurred by a footballer within seconds. There is also a chance of it improving your innate vitality and physical resilience<


    ~----~


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "¡­..!"


    Sam''s eyes opened so wide that they almost fell off their sockets. "What in the frickety f*ck!"

 Chapter 9: High-grade vitality fruit

    ~----~


    [You have opened random loot box!]


    [Congrattions! You have received a high-grade vitality fruit!]


    >Vitality Fruit: This is a miraculous fruit that is capable of healing all injuries incurred by a footballer within seconds. There is also a chance of it improving your innate vitality and physical resilience<


    ~----~


    The blue screen disappeared and, in its ce, a real yellow banana appeared, falling right into Sam''s outstretched palm.


    Feeling the physical touch of the banana, Sam felt goosebumps all over. "I-it''s real!" He stammered.


    Grasping the banana tighter, Sam threw a nce around, confirming that no one was around to see him and then he heaved a sigh of relief.


    He could not stay in the sitting room though, he felt exposed here.


    The first thing he did was run to his bedroom. Locked inside there, he finally felt hidden and safe, and then he picked the banana up again.


    "What am I supposed to do with this?"


    "Eat it?"


    Right at that moment, another system notification appeared before him.


    [You have 10 seconds remaining to ingest the high-grade vitality fruit before it disappears!]


    "F*ck!" Sam pushed the banana down his throat immediately and in 3 big bites, the banana disappeared.


    Sam stared, and waited.


    For a few seconds, nothing happened but then, he felt strange.


    It almost felt like an embrace, soothing. Sam had never been in those revered hot baths before but right now, he felt like this was how a hot bath would feel like.


    It was almost like a holy oil originated from his stomach, permeating through his body and into his skin even as a heavenly hand gave him the best massage ever.


    It almost felt like a touch of God himself.


    From inside, Sam felt like this touch was cradling him, remolding him. He enjoyed it, heck, he didn''t want this sensation to stop if it could.


    But everything doese to an end, including this feeling.


    ~----~


    [You have ingested a high-grade vitality fruit!]


    [Major injury was identified: Misaligned ankle¡­]


    [Ankle injury has been healed!]


    [Other minor body injuries have been healed!]


    [Host''s current physical status: Standard]


    ~----~


    Seeing this, Sam could not react. He did not know how to feel even, this was because he could tell that the notifications before him were no bluff.


    He could tell because, well, he was the one who had ownership of his body.


    He could tell from how he was feeling, he could tell from how his legs were feeling. Heck, he felt really good right now.


    "System, show me my status".


    The systemplied.


    ~----~


    [yer status!]


    Host: Samuel Moses


    Current Career Status: Stagnant (Waiting for the right catalyst)


    Talent Rating: C+


    yer Position: Undefined


    yer Attributes:


    *Pace: 70


    *Shot: 69


    *Pass: 74


    *Dribbling: 64


    *Defending: 33


    *Physicality: 60


    *Stamina: 78


    Overall Rating: 67


    ~----~


    ''My talent rating improved!'' His eyes gleamed.


    His mom''s ranting this evening was still very fresh in his mind but unlike before, Sam could not pay as much heed to it because this time, there was something else distracting him from the fear of his mom.


    The Ultimate Football System was this new distracting factor.


    Sam found it truly hard to wrap his head around the current reality but if the system was right, did this just mean the injury that ruined his football career was now well and truly healed?


    His breathing became rapid. "Oh my God!"


    "I''m so excited, is this really real? I can''t wait to test it out tomorrow!"


    "Heck! I can do it this night!"


    After hisst ankle injury 4 years ago, running became a luxury for him. Running for just 2 minutes would make his ankle ache, running for more minutes caused severe consequences, that is what he was going to try out.


    But just as he stood up from his bed, something happened.


    The main door of his house opened.


    At first, Sam was rmed. ''Who is it? A thief?''


    Silently, he snuck out of his room and opened his door. Going outside, he peeked and well, it was safe to say that Sam was bbergasted.


    "My love".


    Silence.


    "My wife, the one who holds the key to my heart".


    "Stop".


    "Love of my life".


    "Leave me".


    "My everything. You know I''m sorry, right?"


    "I didn''t mean to raise my voice at you, I''m sorry, I was just, you know, frustrated. You know how much I love football".


    "I know, it''s just Sam".


    "Don''t worry about Sam, I''ll take more responsibility for him now".


    From where Sam hid, peeking, he was absolutely stunned as he stared at the shameless couple face each other.


    There stood his dad, with the meekest face that Sam had ever seen on him facing his mom who acted so strong like she had not been crying since.


    And before he knew it, out of nowhere, his parents were already kissing.


    ''What the f*ck!'' Sam eximed in his mind.


    ''This shameless duo, how can you raise such a storm and just act like nothing happened now?''


    Sam felt tense, it was escting.


    "Umm, the children are in their room, they''ll see".


    "Don''t worry, they''re sleeping," Mr. Moses interjected. "I know my children; they should be asleep by now".


    "Let''s go to the bedroom".


    "No, here is just fine with me".


    Hearing that, Sam''s face turned a deep shade of pink. Already having an idea about what was about to happen, he snuck back to his room, locked his door before wisely putting his headset on to listen to some loud music.


    While the music yed, he cursed in his mind. ''Shameless couple!''


    About a dozen minutester, he changed the ylist to a list of cool songs that would help him sleep.


    He started feeling sleepy but just as he closed his eyes, he heard a beeping sound.


    Beep!


    The system startled him awake.


    ~----~


    [Sam, wee to a new day!]


    [You have unlocked Daily Quest- Get back in shape!]


    [You have unlocked today''s daily quest goals!]


    [Task 1: 100 push-ups]


    ¡­


    [Task 2: 100 squats]


    ¡­


    [Task 3: 100 sit-ups]


    ¡­


    [Task 4: Run 10 kilometers]


    ¡­


    [WARNING: If the daily quest is notpleted, penalties will be given ordingly.]


    [Remark: With great poweres great responsibilities.]


    ~----~

 Chapter 10: Daily Quest- Get back in shape

    23rd, December, 2022¡­


    ¡­


    Thud! Thud!


    The sound of boots hitting ground reverberated as a tall 17-year-old lumbered through the streets with headsets blocking his ears, jogging even as he wiped the perspiration from his forehead.


    It was still very early in the morning.


    The early cock crows reverberated through the veil of the morning, announcing the start of a new day in this part of Abraka.


    And that early in the morning, a boy was already jogging.


    "Good morning, Sam!" A businessman who sold phones and electronic essories called loudly and waved on seeing the boy jog pass again.


    Sam heard through the sound filtration technology of his headset. He was not really listening to music; he just blocked his ears with the headset to reduce distractions as he jogged.


    "Good morning, Mr. Josh!" He greeted back.


    He exchanged greetings with a few more people along the road as he continued jogging.


    About a minuteter, he deviated from the road, taking a right turn to enter the university premises that was close to his home through the middle gate.


    Once he was inside the school road, he increased his running speed even as his breathing became morebored. As he ran, he paid attention to something else.


    ~----~


    [Active Daily Quest: Get back in shape!]


    [Task 1: 100 push-ups]


    [Progress: 0/100 push-ups done]


    ¡­


    [Task 2: 100 squats]


    [Progress: 0/100 squats done]


    ¡­


    [Task 3: 100 sit-ups]


    [Progress: 0/100 sit-ups done]


    ¡­


    [Task 4: Run 10 kilometers]


    [Progress: 9.8/10 kilometers run]


    ¡­


    [WARNING: If the daily quest is notpleted, penalties will be given ordingly.]


    [Remark: With great poweres great responsibilities.]


    ~----~


    Well, for the fifth day straight, Sam was up and running, yearning toplete the daily tasks that the system set for him.


    After the encounter 5 days ago when Argentina yed France in the world cup final, after getting limatized to the system in the night, the next day, he was forced to take the daily tasks serious.


    That Monday, waking up asidback as ever before, Sam prayed with his family, took his bath, ate, and left for work toe back in the evening.


    By the time he got home in the evening, he was already dead tired. ''I guess I can''t meet the system daily tasks goal, I''m just too tired''.


    Well, he learned to regret beingzy with the system in y.


    The system did not tolerateziness.


    ~----~


    [Host has failed to meet the daily system quests on time!]


    [You have triggered penalty: Dehydration]


    [Duration: 4 hours]


    ~----~


    Well, the penalty was just as the system disyed before him.


    All of a sudden, despite the fact that he just ate a sumptuous meal after getting home and drinking enough water, Sam suddenly felt dehydrated.


    He drank more water but it couldn''t quench it.


    And for every minute more that he stayed, the more severe the dehydration symptoms became. It got to the point it almost felt like he was stuck in a desert, his throat was so dry that he felt he would choke and die.


    He sought his father for help but when his father could not tell what was wrong, that was when it finally dawned on him.


    Spooked, Sam had no choice but to rush to his room, wear hisbat shorts and his pair of slippers before going out on a jog in the night.


    Running 10 kilometers with a pair of slippers was torture. Add his physique then into the mix, and it was a horrifying endeavor.


    Sam could not stop though even if he wanted. It got so severe till he thought if he stayed a minute longer so dehydrated, he would die.


    Despite the fact that he was dead tired and his whole body was aching, scared by the prospects of dying, Sam dared not stop.


    He never knew he had so much energy and stamina hidden inside him.


    In the end, somehow, he managed toplete all tasks that first day. On getting back home, seeing him covered with sweat all over, of course, his mom asked questions but Sam was too tired to answer.


    He retreated to sleep immediately but before he sleptpletely, he saw the system light up with a notification again.


    ~----~


    [You havepleted Daily Quest: Get back in shape!]


    [You have been rewarded with a low-grade physical conditioning elixir!]


    [Host has been detected to be in an inactive state, automatically ingesting low-grade physical conditioning elixir, please wait¡­]


    ~----~


    The next day, Tuesday morning, Sam woke up feeling refreshed and energetic and for some reason, he felt that his belly fat reduced a bit.


    ''Huh? What happened?''


    Then, his eyes widened. ''Is it because of the physical conditioning elixir?''


    ''Holy sh*t! This system is a cheat!''


    Well, Tuesday morning, he started the routine, absolutely scared of facing another penalty from the system.


    After every daily quest session, Sam was rewarded with the same physical conditioning elixir and well, after 5 days, the results were evident.


    Sam did not suddenly get the Cristiano Ronaldo physique butpared to 5 days ago, he now looked fit.


    His belly fat was gone though there was no six packs yet. His legs were no longer chubby and fat, now slimmer and more athletic.


    Achieving this much change in just 5 days was impossible but with the low-grade physical conditioning elixirs that he got every day, the impossible was made possible. Sam''s overview of the system rose every day.


    Sam did not just jog into the university premises for nothing though, his destination was the school gym.


    This was where hepleted the rest of his daily quest goals.


    By the time he got to the gym, he got a beep and notification from his system indicating that he already ran 10 kilometers.


    Entering inside the school gym, having paid the 3,000-naira monthly fee from his savings 4 days ago, Sam went straight to his corner where he started his work-out with sit-ups.


    He mixed sit-ups and squats and about a dozen minutester or so, he was done with both workouts.


    He finally switched to hisst for the day, push-ups.


    He divided hisst workout into 3 sets.


    The first set, he went for 50 straight push-ups. After resting for a short while, for the second set, he did 30 straight push-ups before ending it with thest set of 20 push-ups.


    And with that, he was done.


    "Sam, you''re already running off like usual right?" The gym coach caught him.


    Sam chuckled. "Coach Andrew, I''ve got no choice, I have work to do".


    "Besides, my mom will skin me alive if I stay too long".


    "Mommy''s boy". Coach Andrew, the hefty coach who wore normal gym clothes teased as Sam left.


    Sam got hispleted daily quest notification and his reward, the low-grade physical conditioning elixir.


    As soon as he got outside the gym though, he met a familiar face. It was a tall ck boy with big biceps and short groomed ck hair.


    "Hey Favour, what''s popping?"


    "My man Sam," they shook hands. "You''re running again, right?"


    "Yeah, I can''t afford to stay for too long man".


    "I understand".


    Sam was about to jog off when Favour held him back. "Wait! I remembered something, you once said you are really good at ying football, right?"


    Sam looked at the tall boy. "Yeah, anything?"


    "Yes," Favour smiled. "My brother is an aspiring coach. They organized a sponsored Christmas football game between his team and another team from Warri".


    "His team isplete, but he''s looking out for talented yers to bolster his squad and further increase his chances of winning the game".


    "You see, the winning prize is big". Favour smiled and winked. "So, Sam, do you think you''re good enough?"


    "By the way, I heard Yemi Daniel nrewaju, Enyimba FC''s coach will being to the game as a guest of honor to spectate".


    "Who knows, he may keep an eye out for outstanding performers".


    Hearing that, Sam''s eyes gleamed sharply. ''An opportunity!''

 Chapter 11: An opportunity

    Sam jogged back home.


    Seeing him enter again in a hurry, Mrs. Moses who was already in the kitchen could not help butment. "Hmmm, you and this your new hobby of early morning jogging, hope we''re safe".


    "Don''t worry mommy," Sam smiled. "You arepletely safe".


    "It''s a good thing sha," shemented. "That way, you won''t look like a sack of overboiled beans again, you were beginning to turn obese".


    "¡­" Sam was speechless.


    "Besides, maybe, it will help you finally get a girlfriend".


    "Hey, don''t give me that look, are you not old enough to have a girlfriend? And when you do, you must bring a beautiful girl like your mom and sister, I''ll kill you myself if you bring an ugly girl to my home".


    Sophia who was in the sitting roomughed. "Mom, he''s blushing".


    "Shut up!" Sam snapped.


    "That should upy you from football too, so it''s good". She added.


    Hearing his mom say that, Sam didn''t say anything else as he rushed to his room to take his bath. On getting back, everyone was already in the dining room as Mrs. Moses already made a sumptuous meal for them.


    Sam dove in, eating to his fill.


    Throughout, his dad kept on throwing looks his way. Both men didn''t say a word though and like usual, Mr. Moses finished eating first before leaving to work.


    Sam finished after his dad before also leaving for the pharmacy.


    While leaving, Sam picked up his android phone and went to his WhatsApp, easily navigating to his best friend''s number.


    {Ian, we need to talk}


    {I¡­}


    ¡­


    2 hourster, while Sam was at work¡­


    {Ian: What? You want to start ying football again?!}


    {Ian is typing¡­}


    Seeing his best friend''s message, Sam sighed and picked up his phone.


    {Sam: Yeah, what''s wrong? Can''t I y football anymore? The passion always lingered even after 4 years ago, but that match, that match brought it all out. I rediscovered my calling, Ian. My calling is not to be some doctor saving lives, it''s to be a footballer like Messi and Ronaldo entertaining millions.}


    {Ian: Ok, calm down mate. First of all, I''m beginning to regret taking you to watch the game, and I''m dead serious man. Do you want to be a cripple?! Your legs are no longer cut out for ying football!}


    {Sam: I''m healed now, trust me.}


    {Ian: Who healed you? God?}


    {Sam: You can say that, it was a miracle.}


    {Ian: Omg, I can''t believe it, my buddy is going insane. Sam, what the hell has gotten over you? What of your mom? Your promise?}


    {Sam: That''s why I''ming to you bro. I already made up my mind but I''m scared, I feel guilty. I want support, any type of support that''s why I chatted you up. I''m at work, you cane check my leg out yourself, I swear I''m healed now.}


    {Ian: Wait for me, I''ming.}


    ¡­


    25 minutester, Ian''s jaws almost fell off his face.


    "What the f*ck!"


    "Sam? Is that you? What the hell happened to you?"


    Sam grinned. "That''s what I was trying to tell you, I''m healed".


    "Tell me what happened".


    Well, this was the moment of truth.


    For the past 5 days since on Sunday after it happened, Sam had been thinking, should he reveal the truth of the Ultimate Football System to anyone?


    At first, he was scared of the prospects of anyone else knowing about the system but in the end, he thought. ''Can I keep such a big secret to only myself?''


    ''Though I''m not a many people person, I''ve also never been a one-man person, I can''t keep such a big secret to myself''.


    In the end, after thinking hard for 5 days about it, he decided to tell his best friend and that was exactly what he did at this moment.


    Ian stood still, staring at his best friend with a weird look on his face. "You''re meaning to tell me that right now, as we speak, there''s a holographic projection before you that only you can see and I cannot see?"


    Sam nodded.


    Ian also nodded, he looked to the side, then back at his best friend, then he eximed. "Wait! You''re really not lying?"


    "I''m not"


    "Holy freaking Jesus, Sam, that''s crazy!"


    "I know, right? But don''t raise your voice". Sam stressed.


    In the end, after having an extensive conversation where Ian repeatedly stressed on why he shouldn''t reveal the system to anyone else, his best friend gave him the only piece of advice that he could.


    "It''s your family we''re talking about man, your family presides over even me, the only one that can advise you on this is your family".


    "I don''t rmend talking to your mom, but your dad, you can talk to him".


    "Tell him about everything, the system, your goal, tell him".


    In the end, Sam could not refute it, he nodded. "Ok, thank you Ian".


    "Don''t mention bro, you''re my homie".


    Shortly after his best friend left, Sam took permission from his boss at the pharmacy before leaving. He took public transport to his dad''s office.


    Once he was outside the big consortium, he picked up his phone and called.


    "Hey, Sam, how''re you doing?"


    "Hey Dad, I''m outside your workce".


    There was silence for a few seconds, then, "are you ok?"


    "Yes, I think".


    "Ok, wait for me, I''ming".


    Leaving all his work behind, Mr. Moses came out to meet his son. He didn''te emptyhanded, he brought 2 cups of ice cream with him, giving his son one.


    "Take, follow me, let''s go on a walk, tell me what''s bothering you".


    Sam looked up at his dad. "How did you know?"


    Mr. Moses gave his son the ''are you really asking that?'' eye. "I''m your dad".


    Sam smiled and followed.


    For minutes, father and son just strolled without saying a word, observing and admiring the surrounding scenery then out of the blue, Sam spoke. "Dad, I want to tell you something".


    "Go on".


    "It''s about that day".


    "When Argentina won, right?" His dad smiled at him.


    Sam looked at his dad, wondering how he knew again, then he nodded. "Yes, I want to tell you the true reason why I fainted".


    His father''s face became a bit more serious. "Ok, I''m listening".


    Sam took a deep breath, and then he spilled the beans.


    By the time he was done exining, Sam looked down, imagining a multitude of scenarios in his head on how his dad would react, in the end, his dad didn''t react in any of the ways that he expected.


    "Sam," he patted his boy by the shoulder. "What happened to you, it really is nothing short of a miracle".


    "You know, in my high school days when Messi and Ronaldo were in their prime, scoring goals for fun week in week out, I once prayed in church fervently to give birth to a professional football yer".


    "Who knows?" He chuckled. "Maybe, it''s my prayering to pass".


    Sam looked up at his dad nervously. "So?"


    Mr. Moses chuckled. "You have my blessings, son". He grinned. "Follow your passion, fight for what you want and be happy, I support it".


    "Don''t worry, I''ll make time toe watch you y on Sunday".


    "Really?"


    "Yes".


    Sam was excited, but then his expression changed again. "What of mom?"


    His dad smiled reassuringly. "Don''t worry, you do what you want and you better not make a mess of it".


    "As for your mom, leave her to me, I''ll take care of her".


    Sam smiled, and this time, tears flowed from his eyes, tears of joy.


    He hugged his dad tightly. "Thanks dad".


    "I won''t let you down!"


    On that evening, a dream metamorphosized to be a conviction.

 Chapter 12: Preparation

    "Hey Favour, it''s Sam, I''m in for that football game you told me about, what do I need to be a part of it?"


    "Wow! Really? That''s good, my brother has been so paranoid since, he''ll be really happy to get another yer".


    "Don''t worry, juste to the field in the university to train with the squad ahead of Christmas, that''s all you need to do".


    "Ok man, thanks for giving me this opportunity".


    "Don''t thank me yet man, thank me if you can make it into the team".


    "Ok, I will".


    And with that, Sam became mentally prepared for a Christmas that would most likely be his most exciting one in years.


    Returning to his workce at the pharmacy, he had a big smile on his face.


    "What happened?" A co-worker asked.


    "Huh?"


    "You look giddy".


    Sam was baffled. "And?"


    "That''s not your normal face. Your face naturally looks depressed, I''m used to it, I''m just surprised to see such a look on your face".


    Now, Sam was more weirded out than he was baffled.


    That little conversation didn''t affect his mood though. For the rest time he spent in the pharmacy, he was distracted as he juggled different things.


    Of course, the first thing Sam did was messaging his best friend on whatsapp.


    {Sam: Ian, you''re the G.O.A.T!}


    {Sam: Guess what, I spoke with my dad, I told him everything and surprisingly, he was supportive. Tomorrow, I''ll go for training and on Sunday, Christmas, I''ll be ying the big game.}


    Ian replied after only a minute.


    {Ian: Told ya, didn''t I? He''s your dad after all, he''ll understand. Anyways, you better make sure your team wins because I''ll be sacrificing my Christmas to be there. If you don''t win, forget about the system, I''ll skin you alive myself.}


    Seeing that message, Sam could not reply for a few minutes as he became overwhelmed with different emotions.


    In the end, he replied.


    {Sam: Thanks man, for always being there, I appreciate it. You''re the real OG.}


    And with that distraction off his mind, Sam got distracted by another thing. ''F*ck! My kit''.


    4 years ago after suffering that demoralizing ankle injury and after promising his mom, reluctantly, Sam dumped all his football kit, burning them, including his football boots, knee pads, and even his personal football.


    Thinking of the current price of a football boot andparing it with his personal savings, he winced.


    Luckily, he was no longer going solo. He made a list and took his Redmi android phone again, navigating to his whatsapp app again.


    {Sam: Umm, dad, there''s a problem, I just remembered that I burned all my football kits after promising mom 4 years ago. I don''t even have a football boot, please I need financial assistance. I''ll be sending the list of things I need.}


    {Sam: List¡­}


    *Football boots: 25,000 naira


    *Knee pads: 5,000 naira


    *Socks: 2,000 naira


    *Size 5 ball: 22,000 naira


    *Total: 54,000 naira


    Sam''s dad took just 5 minutes to reply to his message and the first reply was an exmation.


    {My Superman: What?! A pair of football boots cost 25,000 naira now? What is this country turning into?}


    Sam winced; he could literally imagine his dad sighing in frustration but the message he saw next brought a smile to his face.


    {My Superman: Send your ount number, you better make this worth it.}


    Sam leapt for joy; he did as his dad instructed.


    10 minutester, he received a credit alert on his Redmi phone that made his smile widen further. Sam bid his time, staying till his shift was over around 4 in the evening before taking a bike to the nearest sports store.


    There, he got the 4 items that were on his list. Of course, he didn''t have the guts to go home with them, he rather took them to his best friend''s home.


    Only after this did he go home.


    Later in the night, he called Favour again. "Good evening man, about that stuff¡­"


    "Oh Sam, I was just about to call you," Favour interrupted him. "I already told my brother and he agreed. I better hope you''re as good as you say though, my brother, he''s pretty demanding".


    "Anyways, thest training session tomorrow will start by 4 in the evening and it''llst for 2 hours".


    "I''ll see you there, right?"


    "Sure".


    "I trust you, my bro".


    And with that, they ended the call.


    That night, after their dad arrived back home from work, his wife weed him more energetically than usual as she soon started hitting him with conversations about preparations for Christmas enthusiastically.


    Of course, they already got their Christmas clothes, what Mrs. Moses was particr about at this moment was the Christmas meal.


    Of course, she wanted to make something memorable tomemorate the asion. Sophia was also heavily involved in the conversation.


    While they conversed, all Sam could think of was the training game tomorrow. Going to his room, he looked at himself in the mirror.


    ''It''s been 4 years; do I still have what it takes?''


    ''It doesn''t matter, I''ll prove myself either ways''.


    At that moment, he remembered Nephis, his favorite character from one of his best web novels, Shadow ve, a hobby he picked up in thest 4 years of being away from football. "If its my will, who can stop me?" He grinned.


    That night, while everyone else stayed awake, Sam slept on time.


    The next day, he was the one to wake up first, saying a little prayer before going on his early morning jog toplete the daily system quest.


    He didn''t return home immediately though, rather, he went to his best friend''s ce, took the football before going back to the university field.


    There, Sam reacquainted himself with a football.


    After 4 years without it, of course, it was awkward at first but juggling it a few times and practicing with Ian as his partner, Sam slowly regained his touch.


    There was only so much he could do in a single morning though.


    It was at this moment that he appreciated the daily system quest. Imagining himself of 6 days ago practicing with a ball felt like a scene from a horror movie.


    Returning home, his motherined, nagging about why he would suddenly leave on Christmas eve knowing that there would be work.


    That morning till afternoon, Sam suddenly became the most obedient boy, helping his mom fervently with all the work to be done.


    He had an ulterior motive though, morning to afternoon was for his mom, evening was his.


    Around 3:15 in the afternoon, Sam snuck to his bathroom, took his bath to freshen up from the smell of the kitchen before sneaking out.


    Sam went off to his first training game in 4 years.

 Chapter 13: Training game

    Sam arrived at exactly 3:47pm.


    He didn''t need to search to find where he was going.


    In one of the pitches in the gigantic grass field of the university, a group of yers in ck jersey were gathered. At the side of the pitch, 2 Lexus cars were parked, making Sam raise his eyebrows.


    ''The coach is definitely an inte fraudster, or its 1 or maybe more of his yers. This really is a luxurious gathering''.


    Unlike most of the yers here that were on the ck jerseys, Sam wore an unassuming ckbat shorts on a in ck polo shirt. The kit bag strapped to his shoulders was perhaps the only indicator that he was a footballer.


    As soon as Sam arrived in the premises, he heard his name.


    "Yo, Sam! Over here!" It was Favour.


    With a slight smile on his face, Sam walked over. Favour was in a crowded ce where some of the yers in ck jersey were gathered and, in their midst, he recognized the coach immediately.


    Just like Favour, the coach was tall and heftily built.


    "Bro, this is the yer that I told you about, Sam".


    Hearing that, the coach paused what he was doing and looked over, he scrutinized the tall boy that stood before him.


    Short silky ck hair, a handsome face, a tall physique, and a leg with thick calf. He almost nodded in approval till he saw the slight bulge from the polo shirt.


    His eyes were sharp, the only reason why he noticed it. Despite the fact that Sam had worked hard to improve his physique, his belly fat was notpletely gone. He noticed the coach''s eyes pause there, he gulped.


    The coach briefly nced at him again. "Your name?"


    "Sam, Samuel Moses".


    "Ok Sam, you''ll be in the B team, what position do you y in?"


    "I can y across the midfield and forward lines, mostly as a midfielder, but my preferred position is to y as an attacking midfielder".


    "Oh, ok," he nodded and looked away. "Meet that guy over there, Frank, he''ll give you your jersey".


    "You''ll be a part of the B team, you can be a back-up to their attacking midfielder, Joshua".


    Hearing that, Sam''s face changed slightly but he controlled it. He nodded. "Thank you, coach". He nodded at Favour before walking off to take his jersey.


    ''F*ck! What a way to start, back-up to the back-up attacking midfielder''. He sighed. ''Well, what did I expect? I''ve only been working on my fitness for 6 days''.


    ''Anyways, this is still good, I just need a chance to prove myself''.


    By the time it was 4 on the dot, the coach finally blew his whistle, assembling his yers as he assigned them to either of team A and team B.


    Team A was the real team, his starting lineup. There were 3 other new yers just like Sam today, 1 of them was enough toplete team B, meaning that 3 yers would stay on the sidelines for most of the training session.


    It was not just any training, but rather a training game, meaning that 11 yers would be ying against 11 yers like it was a realpetitive game.


    Unfortunately, Sam became one of the yers to start on the bench.


    Team A stuck with the ck jerseys while team B wore green bibs on top of their ck jerseys to distinguish both teams.


    When the training game finally started, from the sidelines, Sam paid keen attention to the game, mostly scrutinizing thepetition for his preferred spot.


    Just 10 minutes into the game and it was clear that Team A was vastly the superior team, they dominated possession, pushing Team B to defend deep.


    Team A''s forwards were decent, but the true strength of this team was in the midfield and their star yer was unfortunately their attacking midfielder. Sam grimaced after seeing Joshua in action for just a few minutes.


    This powerful and agile attacking midfielder was the heart of the team, orchestrating and dictating y.


    On the 13th minute of the game, he unleashed a powerful shot that beat the keeper but rattled against the crossbar, eliciting a gasp from the coach.


    Seeing the coach''s reaction, Sam sighed. ''And there goes my spot''.


    Feeling a bit defeated, he focused on other spots in the midfield. The midfield was talented but he was a bit more confident in discing the others of their starting position if he got a chance.


    In the 21st minute of the game, the deadlock was finally broken as taking the ball and drifting to the right, Joshua crossed a deadly ball in for team A''s striker to find with a header, adeptly poking into the back of the with his head.


    "GOALLLL¡­!"


    8 minutester, in the 29th minute, Joshua assisted his second goal of the game, ying a defense-splitting through pass that tore team B open and again, it was the lightning-swift striker who ran through and lobbed the ball over the goalkeeper to score his second goal of the game.


    In the 43rd minute, Joshua finally opened his ount, drilling a powerful outside the box shot into the top left corner of the post, making it 3-0.


    Team B''s goalkeeper stood no chance.


    Joshua was in top form.


    A few minutester, the coach blew for half-time before engaging in some team talk mostly directed team A''s way. The game restarted with no substitutions made. Just 5 minutes in, Joshua made his mark again.


    He made it a hattrick of assists as crossing the ball in from a corner, Isaiah, one of team A''s center back rose highest to power the ball into the through a header as he celebrated his goal excitedly.


    It was 4-0 yet team B barely improved their y.


    As the minutes ticked on, Sam itched for some action, constantly throwing nces the coach''s way and finally in the 55th minute, 2 changes were made.


    None of them involved Sam though, he grimaced in the bench.


    In the end, it was only when Favour went to personally persuade his brother that this coach finally decided to bring Sam into the game, taking off team B''s attacking midfielder for the boy.


    ''This is it!'' Sam felt his blood boil as he entered the pitch.


    The game restarted, it was a goal kick to team B.


    As soon as team B started ying again, in the halfway line, Sam demanded for the ball. "Here, here!" He called, raising and iling his arms.


    "Pass me the ball!"


    It was annoying but the center midfielder didn''t deny him, passing him the ball. As soon as that ball touched Sam''s leg, electricity seemed to course through his body as he observed the pitch.


    At that moment, all the feelings he lost since 4 years ago returned to him.


    With the ball on his leg, at that moment, Sam felt like he never left football.


    Team A''s midfielder came rushing in, going for a dangerous sliding tackle. Sam did not panic; he evaded the tackle with a silky-smooth roulette skill.


    The other team A yers were stunned but they didn''t dally, Sam leaving their teammate on the floor only invited a more aggressive press from them.


    Sam stayed calm like a robot.


    The second yer came rushing in. Sam did a feint, faking to one side before using a Cruyff turn and a burst of speed to rush to the other side.


    There, he met another yer but Sam executed a croqueta.


    It was not perfect, filled with ws even as the yer almost dispossessed him but maybe it was luck but Sam somehow retained possession.


    "Pass! I''m free". A yer called.


    Sam was still in the midfield position.


    Passing seemed like the better option but at this moment, Sam didn''t want to pass. Instead of passing, he raised his head, took one nce at the opposition post and noticed the goalkeeper slightly off his line.


    That was all Sam needed. Raising his leg, he hit the ball with power.


    Bam!


    The ball ricocheted off his leg like a rocket.


    Team A''s goalkeeper furiously retreated but it was already toote. The ball went above him before dipping into an empty¡­, it was a goal.


    Silence¡­, no one could speak.


    In his first minute on the pitch, Sam scored an absolute banger of a goal.


    Sam pumped a fist triumphantly. "Yeah!"


    "GOALLL!" Favour celebrated in the sideline, hugging his big brother. "Brother, I told you right, my guy is the real deal!"


    "Shut up," his brother snapped at him. "And leave me".


    For the first time today, the yers finally paid more attention to this tall boy. ''He''s good''. They thought.


    Team A restarted the game, adamant to wipe off the effects of that sudden stain to their pride yet, this was when they met the true Sam.


    That goal may have been a fluke but one true attribute of Sam that stood the test of time was his stamina that started all the way since he was a child.


    On this evening, Sam ran himself to the ground, being everywhere in this midfield as he intercepted passes, threw himself in tackles, and yed to his fill.


    Singlehandedly, he protected his team with his work rate, preventing the score from turning more embarrassing.


    The game ended 4-1.


    At the end, the coach finally paid more attention to him. "Sam, right?"


    "Yes, coach".


    "You did good," he finally smiled at Sam for the first time today. "Tomorrow, be here on time, the game willmence at the same time".


    "If you''re lucky, you may y tomorrow".


    "Thanks coach, I''m satisfied with that". Sam smiled.


    Sam returned home satisfied. On his way home though, something happened. He got a new system notification; it was a system mission.

 Chapter 14: Christmas game [1]

    ~----~


    [You have unlocked a system mission: Make your mark on the Christmas Game!]


    [Details: You''ve finally received your opportunity to perform before a professional football coach. This is your first step to superstardom. Make the game your yground, assert your dominance and win the man of the match award.]


    [Mission Reward: +2 increase to a random yer attribute!]


    ¡­


    [Penalty for mission failure: 2 months without the system!]


    ~----~


    Sam almost stumbled on his way home.


    It was not because of the fact that he just received his first system mission from the Ultimate Football System, rather it was because of the mission penalty.


    ''F*ck! 2 months without the system? That''s just evil''.


    ''Must there be a penalty?'' He sighed.


    Despite the fact that heined in his mind, in reality, Sam was ecstatic. He understood the reason for the mission penalty because it was already working.


    Personally, Sam wanted to make a mark in tomorrow''s game by all means but the system just did even more to push him against a wall.


    If he wanted to assert himself in tomorrow''s game before, now, it was no longer a matter of choice but a necessity if he didn''t want to lose the miracle that he just gained.


    He must assert his authority tomorrow!


    Besides, the mission reward for sess was just as tantalizing as the penalty for failure was devious. ''An increase of +2 points to a random attribute of mine?''


    He grinned. ''Awesome''.


    This also made him remember something. "System, please disy my status again," he demanded.


    ~----~


    [yer status!]


    Host: Samuel Moses


    Current Career Status: Stagnant (Waiting for the right catalyst)


    Talent Rating: C+


    yer Position: Undefined


    yer Attributes:


    *Pace: 70


    *Shot: 69


    *Pass: 74


    *Dribbling: 64


    *Defending: 33


    *Physicality: 60


    *Stamina: 78


    Overall Rating: 67


    ~----~


    Staring at his stamina rating, Sam grinned. ''My greatest weapon, just imagine if somehow, the randomization managed to fall on that''.


    ''That''ll increase it to 80, damn! I wonder if the color would change''.


    Yes, every one of the numbers attached to his attributes had a color.


    All the attributes below 50 were written in red in the system interface, while those above 50 were written in yellow. Sam wondered if the color would change to green if any of his attributes crossed the 80 mark.


    He didn''t let all these linger in his mind though, happily, he skipped home.


    Of course, he got home to meet drama.


    "Where were you all this time?" His mom was livid but thankfully, his dad was here for the rescue this time.


    "I sent him on an errand".


    Mrs. Moses stared at her husband dubiously. "Really? When?"


    Her husband simply nodded, not deeming to exin and that was enough for her to drop the case. Sighing in relief, Sam went to his room filled with excitement, he could not wait for tomorrow.


    And this time, his excitement was not because of Christmas but rather, a football game.


    ¡­


    Sunday morning, Sam woke up earlier than usual.


    ~----~


    [You havepleted Daily Quest: Get back in shape!]


    [You have been rewarded with a low-grade physical conditioning elixir!]


    ~----~


    Hepleted his daily system quest in record time before rushing home to help. And like he expected, that early by a few minutes to 6, his mom and sister were already awake and were busy in the kitchen.


    Sam did the menial job for the women like ughtering the 2 chickens for the celebration, including running around on errands.


    Just like yesterday, he dedicated the whole morning and afternoon to his family, enjoying Christmas with them like normal as they had a great family time. Of course, they enjoyed the celebration with neighbors too.


    But all of a sudden, around 3 in the afternoon, Sam was nowhere to be found.


    Sam disappeared.


    ¡­


    "Good, Sam you really came on time". Coach James of the ck Hearts shed a big smile as soon as he saw the boy appear in the field.


    Just like Sam expected, despite the fact that it was just barely past 3 in the afternoon, the field was already full.


    And of course, there were spectators, lots of them.


    He could see cars everywhere.


    For a moment, he was overwhelmed. He expected the event to be big but he definitely didn''t expect something this big. ''No wonder they were able to invite someone like Coach Yemi Daniel toe spectate the game''.


    The moment only made him even more determined to perform.


    ck Hearts FC was the name of the local team coached by Favour''s older brother, Coach James.


    After donning the ck jersey of the team, Sam entered the pitch to warm up alongside the others.


    By 3:30pm, Coach James finally called all his yers close, announcing the official starting line-up to them again though he already informed them yesterday.


    Like Sam expected, there were no changes, he was starting on the bench.


    Their opponents, the football team from Warri was called D''Tigres FC and their jersey color was sky blue.


    10 minutes to 4:00pm, the guest of honor of this Christmas game, Coach Yemi Daniel finally took the pitch to a chorus of loud apuse from the spectators.


    He gave a little speech, emphasizing why grassroots football was very important for the development of football in the country.


    And finally, he announced the prize money for this game.


    Apparently, both teams would receive prize money. The winning team would receive 500,000 naira while the losing team would settle for 300,000 naira.


    200,000 naira would also go for the yer who would clinch the man of the match award for the game.


    Sam''s eyes nearly fell off their sockets. ''Wow¡­!''


    He was so focused in getting back in shape that he forgot to ask Favour about what was in for him if he yed in the game.


    All of a sudden, Sam was even more motivated to perform.


    After Coach Yemi left the pitch, the starting 11 yers of both teams finally took to the pitch. They took a picture tomemorate the moment.


    Sam felt a bit envious. ''I wish I was also there''.


    And with that, the yers spread out to their various positions on the pitch.


    The referee for the game took a brief look at his watch, then¡­


    FWEEEEEE!


    The game started.

 Chapter 15: Christmas game [2]

    Immediately after the ref''s whistle blew, the game started.


    For the first few minutes of the game, both teams stayed conservative, ying safe passes anytime they won possession as they were not in a hurry to score against the opposition.


    On the sidelines, watching the game, Sam was able to tell that both of these teams were more or less on the same level.


    Apparently, this was not their first time ying against each other. They were more like local rivals.


    From his biased point of view though, Sam thought that his team had the advantage entirely due to the presence of a single yer, Joshua, the starting attacking midfielder of this team.


    Originally, he was supposed to be happy due to this but his personal feelings said otherwise. He wanted to be part of the action.


    Watching from the sidelines, he was not scared of the game bing boring. Afterall, there was money at stake and he was right, after 15 minutes of boring conservative football, ck Hearts FC upped the tempo.


    All of a sudden, more yers ran into the opposition 18-yard box and in the 17th minute of the game, like expected, Joshua unleashed the first shot on goal.


    It was a powerful driven shot with his right leg aimed towards the bottom left corner, forcing the opposition goalkeeper into a full stretch dive as he poked the ball into the corner.


    The referee blew his whistle for a corner kick.


    When Joshua floated the ball over, D''Tigres FC''s imposing striker and no. 9 was the one who rose highest, heading the ball away to safety.


    Sam paid more attention to that striker. ''This guy is tall, why are they involving him so little in the game?''


    He got his answer almost immediately.


    ck Hearts FC decided to up the tempo, and their opponents responded in kind. Once they left their conservative gamey behind, Sam was finally able to see this team''s true ystyle.


    Their ystyle revolved around their tall and imposing striker and their short and agile right winger. This fair-skinned short boy left an impression on Sam immediately as he got more involved in the game.


    D-Tigres FC''s game went through him.


    The midfielders had a preference for passing to the right because of this boy. And whenever he received the ball, he caused chaos in the opposition ckline with his rapid dribbling and quick feet.


    In the 28th minute of the game, receiving the ball again, he did a feint, leaving the opposing fullback for dead as he drove with the ball into the opposition box.


    yers in ck immediately swarmed this boy but undeterred in the box, his quick feet enabled him beat the first yer.


    He nutmegged the next yer, and just as he entered the 6-yard box, there was a tug from behind.


    The boy did not hesitate, falling on the pitch immediately.


    FWEEEE!


    The ref''s whistle went off.


    Incredibly, it was a penalty against Sam''s team in just the 28th minute of the game. Of course, Sam''s teammates protested the decision but the referee was firm with his decision.


    The short boy picked up the ball.


    The tall striker in sky blue went up to the short and speedy winger, whispering a few words to him only for this boy to shake his head.


    He was determined to take the penalty.


    After receiving the referee''s signal, this boy ignored the opposition goalkeeper''s attempts to enter his head, did a short run and jumped slightly before roofing the ball into the top right corner with his lethal left foot.


    "GOALLL¡­!" Minority of the spectators exploded in cheers.


    Running to the corner g with a big smile on his face, this boy jumped and did the suiii celebration.


    In the 21st minute, ck Hearts FC was down 0-1.


    From the sidelines, Coach James barked orders to his yers.


    When the game finally restarted, the tempo increased even more. The yers in ck ran all over the pitch, jumping into tackles, winning possession, passing to Joshua, allowing this attacking midfielder to do what he did best.


    Joshua dictated the game for his team as he yed a few dangerous passes to his teammates, setting them up but D-Tigres'' defense was too rugged.


    Sam soon realized that he underestimated the opposition.


    Despite the fierce intensity of their opponents, the yers in sky blue held their nerves, ying calm football and despite the many shots that ck Hearts FC took, D''Tigres came closest to scoring again as a dribble from the right and shot from the short boy again rattled against the post before flying off for a goal kick.


    This boy grabbed his hair and screamed in frustration.


    In the 37th minute of the game, after winning the ball deep in his half, Joshua yed an impable through ball for his striker to run into.


    The fast striker ran faster than the defenders, making it to the ball on time but his decision making was not fast enough against the rapidly sweeping goalkeeper. The goalkeeper swatted the ball away before he could shoot.


    In the sidelines, Coach James groaned in frustration.


    The game continued with even more intensity.


    In the 40th minute of the game, Joshua went himself again with another long-range shot that flew just a few inches away from goal.


    In the 42nd minute of the game, the short boy once again troubled with his dribbling, cut back before floating a cross into the box.


    In the box, D-Tigres FC''s tall and imposing striker overpowered and outjumped everyone to power a shot at goal with his head.


    The opposition goalkeeper did just enough to push the ball out, saving his team from going 2 down in the first half.


    For the remaining minutes of the first half, only half-chances were created till the referee blew the whistle for half-time.


    In the 10 minutes of half-time, Coach James berated a few of his yers angrily, most especially the fullback marking the short D''Tigres FC winger.


    "In the second half, anytime that boy is with the ball, Ogaga, I want you to fall back from midfield to support Elisha. I want you both to double-team him, make sure he doesn''t create any more chances".


    "Yes, coach".


    "And you, Elisha, you better do a better job this second half".


    The fullback wiped the sweat of his forehead and nodded seriously.


    And finally, this coach looked at his star yer. "Joshua,e on," he pped. "This is your stage, do something this second half, we need to mount aeback".


    Joshua stayed silent, only giving a short nod to his coach.


    To Sam''s disappointment, the coach didn''t even look his side once while he addressed the yers. The second half restarted with no changes made.


    Coach James learned to regret his decision.


    Just 8 minutes into the 2nd half, despite being double-teamed, the short boy in the right wing did it again, cutting back from the byline before floating a teasing cross in.


    Again, the tall and imposing striker rose above everyone else to power a header in and this time, the goalkeeper could not pull off the same heroics that he pulled in the first half.


    The ball floated into the roof of the.


    "GOALLL!"


    The tall striker celebrated exuberantly, pointing a finger to the sky.


    In the 53rd minute, ck Hearts FC was down 0.2.


    In the sidelines, a livid Coach James fumed.


    This was when this coach finally paid attention to the tall boy that stood with him in the sidelines, his eyes gleamed with desperation.


    "Sam, get ready, you''ll soon be entering the pitch".


    "Yes, coach".


    Sam instantly started warming up again.


    In his mind. ''Finally!''

 Chapter 16: Christmas game [3]

    2 minutes of footballter after ck Hearts FC went 2 goals down, the ball went out for a throw in and that was when the referee stopped the game.


    ck Hearts FC was about to make a change.


    Unlike what most people thought though, Coach James was not taking his star attacking midfielder off the game.


    Rather, he took off one of the center midfielders in the game.


    Coach James was making a radical change to his game formation in this stage of the game, switching from his preferred 4-3-3 attacking formation to an even more aggressively vertical 4-3-2-1 formation.


    Coach James decided to experiment with the diamond formation in this important game all because of the yer that he stumbled upon yesterday.


    Losing 0-2 in the 53rd minute of the game and with his team ying like this against such an elite opposition, he already lost hopes of aeback the normal way, this was why he decided to gamble.


    This was why he decided to gamble on the wildcard he stumbled upon yesterday. Maybe, just maybe, the boy could conjure up a miracle.


    Coach James made a double substitution, introducing 2 new yers into the game, both midfielders as he gave instructions to Sam.


    "Ry my orders to the others, we''re switching to a 4-3-2-1 attacking formation". Coach James looked at the tall boy and took a deep breath, "you''ll be upying the attacking midfield position alongside Joshua".


    "I''m giving the both of you freedom, y as you will, cause chaos, disrupt this game and create something". He pped aggressively. "I want something!"


    "Yes, coach". Sam nodded seriously.


    The second yer that Coach James introduced was another center midfielder, this guy was renowned for his work-rate on the pitch.


    The game was about to go hay-wire.


    As soon as Sam entered the pitch, standing adjacent to Joshua, this star attacking midfielder threw a nce at him. "y like you did yesterday, and don''t hold on to the ball for too long, always pass".


    Sam nodded. "I know".


    FWEEEE!


    Once the ref''s whistle went off again to restart the game in the 55th minute, it was clear immediately that team ck Hearts changed.


    The only question was, was it a good change or a bad one?


    For the first few minutes after, it seemed like a bad change as unused to the sudden new formation, the yers in ck jersey struggled to connect passes, miscing a few passes here and there and losing possession.


    10 minutes passed and team ck Hearts still seemed disjointed, D''Tigres FC still being the team creating more danger till a sudden unexpected moment of magic tore the game open.


    The tall striker of D''Tigres FC received the ball and was progressing it forward when Sam stole the ball with a slightly aggressive tackle.


    For the past 10 minutes, running around the middle of this pitch, absolutely focused on the game, he had a few thoughts in his head.


    ''I must make my mark!''


    ''I must make my mark!''


    ''I have to orchestrate theeback!''


    Despite the tight and disjointed nature of this game at this point, these thoughts dominated his head, helping him focus and right after he stole the ball in the halfway line, he drove forward with it.


    Almost instantaneously, one of the opposition midfielders closed him down but instead of dribbling, without slowing down, Sam kicked the ball to his left before elerating forward.


    Joshua received this ball and in one touch, passed it back to the right.


    With simple and effective one-touch football, Sam evaded the opposition midfielder as his engine heart started pumping blood fast through his body.


    Thud!


    Digging in, his boots hit the field as his tall frame ran towards the opposition box like a freight train.


    At this moment, Sam already entered a state of absolute focus as everything else left his mind, reced by rity.


    As he closed in on the opposition 18-yard box, a yer slid in for a tackle.


    Pushing the ball slightly with the outside of his boot, Sam jumped above his opponent''s outstretched legs as the legs also missed the ball.


    As soon as hended, another yer rushed in for a tackle but he reacted swiftly, cutting the ball to the right.


    By now, Sam with the ball was on the right side of this pitch. D''Tigres FC''s right back was already closing in on him but Sam held this yer off with his tall frame before ncing around to view his options.


    He had a few options.


    Tega, his striker was right in the 6-yard box, holding off a defender as he called for the ball. Further to the left, his left back was charging into the box with his hand outstretched, wildly calling for the pass.


    These 2 seemed like the best options but Sam didn''t go for them, this was because he knew that his opponents expected him to go for the obvious options.


    Rather than going for them, he looked for another option.


    An option that his opponents would not expect.


    Afterall, his team had been ying ording to the book for over 65 minutes to no avail. From the sidelines, he already watched D-Tigres FC''s game and was perfectly aware of how disciplined they were defensively.


    A normal pass would not be able to break this defense open.


    In the world of football, there is a saying that physicality, speed, and shot power may leave a yer as he ages, but one thing that endures the passage of time is technique.


    Despite the fact that Sam had left football for 4 years, one of his better attributes during his ying time that endured through this time was his passing and vision.


    His body deteriorated with time, not his technique, not his football I.Q.


    And this was what helped him to spot the unexpected pass.


    After giving him the one-two pass and letting him run, inauspiciously, Joshua had been following him from behind all the way from the midfield.


    Right now, this attacking midfielder was just arriving in the 18-yard box, totally unmarked by any of the D''Tigres yers in sky blue.


    Bam!


    With his stronger right foot, Sam yed an inch-perfect pass into the box.


    As the ball rolled through the green grass and as time seemed to freeze, only 2 yers reacted, Joshua and one of D''Tigres two imposing center backs.


    This center back showed incredible reaction time as he moved his body at an incredible angle to block a possible shot from this attacking midfielder.


    Joshua raised his leg to shoot, everyone held their breaths, then¡­


    Bam!


    He didn''t shoot, he passed.


    It was another one-touch football between the 2 attacking midfielders as he passed the ball back to Sam who was already rushing into the box after ying the initial pass from the right side.


    This time, more yers reacted to the pass, rushing to close Sam''s shooting path off and then Sam hit the ball.


    Again, he didn''t shoot, rather, heid it off back to Joshua.


    This time, Joshua didn''t dally, hitting the ball first time with a curling effort into the top right corner of the post.


    The opposition goalkeeper was rooted to the spot.


    This was perfect tiki-taka football executed by 2 impressive attacking midfielders, and immediately, the field erupted.


    "GOALLLLL¡­!"


    Joshua spread his arms with a wide smile on his face as he ran to the corner g to celebrate. Then turning round, he pointed his finger at Sam, indicating that the boy was the one who did it.


    On the sidelines, it was pure chaos.


    "That''s f*cking right!" Coach James celebrated with pure passion.


    Finally able to take his head off the action a bit to celebrate, as he celebrated, this was when Sam heard a voice close to where he celebrated.


    "That''s my son right there, that''s my son!"


    He looked over, and there he saw his dad in familiar ck shades standing alongside his best friend. Seeing him look over, Ian grinned and gave a thumbs up.


    Sam grinned back, feeling even more motivated to y his heart out today.


    Adrenaline surged through his body like electricity. "Let''s mount aeback!" He growled.


    The game restarted.

 Chapter 17: Mounting an incredible comeback

    Around after 4 in the evening, while his wife and daughter watched a Nollywood movie excitedly in the sitting room, Moses went to his room, took his bath and returned fully dressed.


    His ever-perceptive wife noticed. "Honey, where are you going dressed like that?"


    Moses looked at his wife and grinned. "I''m going for an important asion that I can''t tell you about".


    "That you can''t tell me about," she looked at him suspiciously. "Hmmm".


    In the end, too engrossed in the movie, she didn''t say more.


    Stepping out of his house, dressed in traditional Ankara attire, Moses put on his dark shades before driving his car off to the football field in the university.


    He arrived right after the second half started, just in time to see his son set up a goal in the 66th minute of this game.


    As a father, he had never felt so proud in his life.


    He boasted. "That''s my son right there, that''s my son!" Heughed and jubted exuberantly alongside the other spectators.


    Of course, most of the spectators today were from Abraka and therefore, they supported their local team which was ck Hearts FC.


    "Come on!" They roared. "Let''s do theeback".


    Coach Isaac of D''Tigres FC gave a few words of advice to his yers before the game restarted, and then, it finally restarted.


    FWEEEEE!


    After that goal, team ck Hearts FC seemed revitalized as they yed like an entirely different team.


    The momentum of the game finally switched sides.


    Led by their 2 impressive attacking midfielders, ck Hearts FC started dominating possession, mounting the pressure on their opponents.


    Joshua and Sam wreaked havoc, throwing passes left and right and even more importantly,bining with their scintiting one-touch football that enabled them slice through the opposition defense time and time again.


    Of course, they chipped in with the asional shots on goal.


    The only factor that kept them at bay for now was the defensive discipline of their opponents, and of course, the opposition goalkeeper who was on top of his game, pulling off incredible saves left and right.


    The pressure continued till in the 75th minute of the game, Coach Isaac made a triple change, taking off the short boy finally to put on more defensive-minded yers. He wanted to defend his team''s lead.


    And for 5 minutes, it worked as the threat of their opponents was pretty much nullified but in the 81st minute of the game, ck Hearts FC won a freekick close to their opponents'' box.


    Joshua looked at his partner in crime who he already built a close rapport with in these short few minutes on the pitch. "Do you want to take it?"


    "Nah," Sam shook his head. "I''m not confident, my shooting is still rusty".


    Joshua threw a weird nce at him and smiled. "If you say so," he shrugged. "Anyways,e first".


    Joshua whispered a few words in his partner''s ear as his team set up to take the freekick, after which Sam left to join the others.


    Joshua stood up to take the freekick.


    He wiped the sweat from his forehead, observed the shape of his opponents and took a deep breath.


    FWEEEE!


    As soon as the referee''s whistle went off, he took a brief look at the goal, then he did a short run before raising his right leg to unleash a powerful shot at goal.


    The 4 opposition yers who set up the freekick wall jumped.


    As this happened, Sam suddenly ran outside from where he previously stood with his teammates.


    Bam!


    Instead of a shot like expected, again, it was a pass, to Sam. For the umpteenth time this game, no one expected it.


    Receiving the ball with his right leg, Sam set it to unleash a shot.


    Thud!


    Without seeing it, he heard the thudding sounds as an opposition yer charged forward aggressively to close him down, and then the sound of a sliding tackle followed.


    From the shot he intended, in thest second, Sam made a split decision and changed his mind, cutting the ball to his weaker left foot instead as the yer slid away harmlessly.


    He got prepared for another shot even as more opposition yers reacted to block his shooting path, and that was where he pulled any trick off his magic box.


    As Sam got prepared to shoot, he noticed a yer in ck jersey move.


    He didn''t even need to confirm who that yer was, all he knew was that ck meant an ally, then, he passed the ball forward just in time before that yer could enter an offside position.


    All the D''Tigres yers were either rooted to the spot or focused on closing him down, no one saw the striker''s run except for Sam, not even the spectators on the bench.


    And all of a sudden, Tega was with the ball, in the 6-yard box, one-on-one with the opposition goalkeeper.


    The goalkeeper charged out but cooly, Tega chipped the ball above him.


    Time seemed to stop; hearts stopped beating as they watched the ball fly up before dipping calmly into the.


    Even Tega himself never expected that pass, his reaction to chip the ball was instinctive and well the ball entered, he was also stunned.


    Not until Sam charged towards him and jumped on his back did he react.


    "GOALLLLL¡­!"


    This pitch erupted!


    The spectators roared, cheering wildly at the top of their voices as the D''Tigres yers cursed and argued among themselves.


    This time, they didn''t celebrate too long. The momentum was still on their side, they hungered for a third goal.


    The game restarted.


    This time, D''Tigres finally came out a bit as they also wanted a 3rd goal to seal the game but with their star winger gone, creating goalscoring chances became a truly difficult endeavor.


    Joshua and Sam kept on starring though, creating chances left and right but again, D''Tigres'' disciplined defense held stubbornly.


    By the 90th minute, the game remained tied 2-2.


    The referee added 5 minutes.


    For thosest 5 minutes, D''Tigres defended with their lives even as ck Hearts FCunched offensive after offensive.


    The game seemed poised to go to extra time as Coach Isaac was already discussing with his yers in the sidelines but at the 90th plus 4 minutes, merely few seconds to the end of the game, Sam received the ball again close to the box.


    After all that he already did this game, the effects of him receiving the ball close to the box to the opposition team was clear as they reacted urgently like they were up against a superhuman.


    The yers stayedpact, blocking off every passingne even as a yer closed in strategically to lock off his shootingne.


    This time, there were truly no passingnes.


    Sam didn''t give up though. ''I need to make my mark!'' He kept on chanting in his mind even as his level of concentration and rity deepened.


    As the yer marking him stepped closer, Sam pushed the ball to the left with his left foot and skipped past him. Another yer rushed in, then stopping, Sam held him off with his tall body before turning with the ball back to the right.


    He raised his stronger right leg to shoot and immediately 2 yers slid to block his shot.


    Sam didn''t shoot though, he simply rolled the ball with the heel of his boots slightly, buying time for the space he needed and just as it opened, before anyone could react, he gently hit the ball.


    He didn''t unleash a powerful shot, it seemed like a pass instead as the ball rolled to the bottom right corner of the post.


    The goalkeeper saw itte but still, he went on a full-stretch dive, yet it was not enough.


    Calmly, the ball rolled into the.


    For a second after, silence reigned on the field then the spectators erupted. At that moment, forgetting everything, Sam swirled away towards the corner g before sliding on his knees as he pumped his fists excitedly in celebration.


    "Yeah¡­!" He screamed at the top of his voice.


    This time, no injuries, no emergency; at the 90th plus 5 minutes of the game, Sam scored the winner afterying off 2 assists earlier.


    At this moment, he felt liberated.


    The game restarted but after a little y, the referee blew his whistle.


    The game was over.


    And immediately after the game was over, Sam''s system lit up with a notification.

 Chapter 18: Milestone of first football prize & an impressed coach

    The celebrations started immediately after the referee''s whistle went off.


    The jubnt spectators rushed into the pitch to celebrate with the yers in ck jersey. The celebration was spearheaded by the yers themselves as they lifted their 2 attacking midfielders up in the air, singing victory songs.


    Up in the air, Sam was overwhelmed, barely believing what was happening.


    ''I did it''.


    ''I really did it''.


    ''Hell yeah! I really f*cking did it!''


    Overwhelmed by his emotions, he could not keep it in anymore as he let it out. "Their father!" He yelled a Nigerian ng excitedly.


    "Their real dad!" He continued yelling.


    The euphoria of this victory was unlike anything else he had experienced since his 17 years of living.


    And of course, like was experienced in every football game, while the winners celebrated jubntly, the losers could only look with forlorn looks on their faces.


    None of themined though, it was a fair loss.


    And as the celebrations from the yers and fans subsided a bit, some of the yers of D''Tigres FC finally walked up to their opposition, mostly the new face, the new attacking midfielder of this team.


    The captain of team D''Tigres walked up to Sam. "Hey man, you were terrific on the pitch today, what''s your name?"


    "I''m Sam, what of you?"


    "I''m Emeka, nice to meet you man, you''ll surely achieve great things in the future if you continue on this trajectory".


    "Thanks man". Both boys shook hands and hugged.


    Sam received a lot morepliments like this, both from his teammates, his opponents, and even the spectating fans.


    He felt giddy with joy.


    And you knew the most amazing feeling of it all? It was receiving all this validation with his father and his best friend there to witness it, Sam doubted if there was any better feeling in the world.


    It got to the extent that even the opposing coach walked up to him, but before Coach Isaac could say a word, Coach James arrived just in time. "Hehe," heughed sheepishly. "Isaac, you can shake his hand and leave".


    "Sam does not want to hear anything from you". He smiled. "And don''t worry, he has no interest in joining your team, so thank you".


    He turned to look at Sam. "Right, Sam?"


    Sam smiled awkwardly. "Yeah, I guess".


    Coach James wrapped his arm around his yer. "See?"


    Coach Isaac shook his head with an amused look on his face as he looked at his rival. "You''re still so petty, you didn''t change at all since university".


    Coach James glowered.


    Ignoring him, Coach Isaac looked at the boy. "Sam, right? You really yed good football today, you should be ying for a professional team".


    Sam chuckled. "I hope so too".


    "I wish you luck".


    And with that, he left.


    Coach James also showered a few words of praise on his yer for his performance before going back with Coach Isaac to meet the guest of honor of this game, Coach Yemi Daniel.


    Immediately after they arrived, the middle-aged coach threw them an inquire. "That boy, Sam, tell me more about him".


    The 2 coaches threw a knowing nce at each other, and James did the honors. "I don''t know much about him; my younger brother helped me recruit him to my team just yesterday".


    This middle-aged coach''s eyebrows rose. "You mean he just joined your team yesterday?"


    "Yes". Coach Jamesughed sheepishly.


    "Your brother, where is he? Call him over".


    "Ok, sir".


    A minuteter, Favour stood before the middle-aged coach, telling him all he knew about Sam and how he met him in the gym the first time a week ago.


    When he finally heard the boy''s age, this middle-aged man''s eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "What?!"


    "He''s just 17?!"


    "Ahem," he coughed, regaining hisposure. "I mean, he''s pretty young for how he yed. He''s talented".


    The 2 rival coaches agreed.


    Coach Yemi Daniel looked at both of them. "After the prize ceremony, tell him to meet me, I need to have a word with him".


    "Yes, sir". They nodded.


    A few minutester, the pitch was cleared as Coach Yemi Daniel finally took the stage again to hand over the prizes to both teams.


    As the winning team, ck Hearts FC received their prize reward of 500,000 naira as the squad took a picture with the printed board money.


    D''Tigres FC also received their prize reward of 300,000 naira, after which time came for the man of the match reward.


    There was no debate about it. After giving 2 assists and scoring the game winning goal, Sam was the clear favorite for the man of the match of the game.


    With a smile on his face, Coach Yemi Daniel called the teenager out before handing the prize board to him.


    The money would be transferred to his ountter.


    Posing for a picture with Coach Yemi Daniel and his prize board, Sam felt emotional. He almost broke down in tears but he managed to hold it in.


    Just a week ago, his football career was still in shambles. Technically, it was still in shambles but at least, he finally got some recognition for his talent.


    Sam''s excited father took countless pictures of his son with his iPhone as he took his prize on the pitch.


    And with that, the Christmas game officially came to an end.


    Sam wanted to leave, yet at that moment was when Coach James approached him, telling him that Coach Yemi Daniel wanted to have a word with him. Sam was baffled and excited at the same time but he followed.


    Once he arrived, standing before the coach''s Mercedes car, the middle-aged coach turned with a smile. "Ah! Sam, you''re here".


    "I was just about done," he brought out a document before presenting it to the boy. "Here, take, go through it".


    Sam looked at the hard cover of this document, his eyes quickly focusing on the words written in bold.


    {Enyimba FC professional contract}


    Sam''s hands shook, he looked up at the middle-aged man. "Sir, w-what is this?" He stammered.


    The middle-aged coach smiled brightly. "It''s a contract".


    "Congrattions Sam, on behalf of Enyimba FC, I want to give you a professional contract to be a part of my team as a professional football yer".


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "¡­..!"

 Chapter 19: Signing first professional contract

    "Congrattions Sam, on behalf of Enyimba FC, I want to give you a professional contract to be a part of my team as a professional football yer".


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "¡­..!"


    Sam was floored.


    For a few moments, his head wentpletely nk as he could not process the words that this middle-aged coach just said to him.


    ''Me? A professional football contract?''


    ''F*ck! Am I dreaming?''


    He stealthily pinched himself and once he felt the pain, his eyes widened as the gravitas of this moment finally settled in his head.


    Sam could not hold it in, immediately, he broke down in tears.


    "Hey!" Coach James was startled.


    Coach Yemi Daniel waved him to stay put. "Let the young man be, it''s normal to react like this, it''s a dreame true to get a professional contract".


    It took a few minutes, but Sam was finally able to calm down. He felt embarrassed when he thought of what just happened. "Umm, sorry".


    "It''s fine, Sam, it''s perfectly fine," the middle-aged coach smiled. "So?"


    Sam finally looked this coach in the eye. "I''m very honored by this opportunity, Coach Yemi, but I can''t make this decision alone".


    "First, I need to speak with my dad". He smiled. "Coincidentally, my dad is here, he also watched the match".


    "Oh, really?" The middle-aged coach smiled. "I''ll also speak with him when you''re done, I''ll give you guys some privacy in the meantime".


    "Thank you, sir".


    With that, Sam ran off excitedly to meet his dad.


    As soon as the boy left, Coach James looked at the older man, a baffled look on his face. "Sir, with all due respect, this is unlike you, what motivated you to give a contract to a yer you just saw today y after just one game?"


    This older man didn''t look at his younger counterpart. "That''s what youngsters like you fail to see, you fail to look beyond the obvious".


    He looked at James. "You think I''m a fool?"


    "No sir". James said immediately.


    "Good," the older man nodded. "That boy, he''s talented," he paused, "he''s too good for your ramshackle football team".


    James didn''t take offense; this man was one of the few people in the country who had the right to call his football team ramshackle.


    "You may not have noticed but I did. You watched him and you thought, this boy is good. You heard his age and you thought, wow, he''s talented".


    "I saw beyond that".


    "Well, I can confidently tell you that Sam has not yed real football in nothing less than 2 years".


    "What?!"


    Seeing his younger colleague''s reaction, Coach Yemi grinned. "That''s the crazy thing when you really think about it".


    "ording to your brother, he started gymst week and his physique was visibly horrible then. At first, I was confused but thinking of it now, I think this boy only started working on getting back in shape a week ago after years of profligacy".


    "And it coincides with the world cup final, which makes me believe that somehow, Messi winning was what motivated this boy to kick a football again". He grinned. "Well, now that''s just G.O.A.T things from Messi".


    He looked at James again. "A not yet fit Sam that is kicking a ball properly for the first time in a long time performed like this," a frenzied look overtook this coach''s face. "Now imagine what a fully fit Sam can do!"


    "Imagine what a Sam that has been coached by me can do!"


    "Damn, this boy is not just talented, he''s freakishly talented and I would be a fool not to sign him for my club immediately".


    "We''re talking Okocha level of talent here".


    Hearing that, James'' eyes widened as he looked in Sam''s general direction. "Wow, I never knew the boy was that scary".


    The middle-aged coach grinned again. "Don''t worry, for helping me discover this talent, I''ll pay you appropriately".


    "I just hope my club is able to keep hold of him because with what I''m seeing, he''s going to have an even more ridiculous growth trajectory".


    James grinned, he had never heard Coach Yemi Daniel praise a yer like this before. "I guess I should take Favour on a good treat too, he''s the one who discovered Sam after all".


    "Hehe, you should do that".


    ¡­


    "What?!"


    "Coach Yemi Daniel offered you a professional contract?!"


    Bonk!


    Moses bonked Ian on the head, cing a finger to his lips. "Shush, child, you want the whole world to hear about it?" He nced around.


    Ian rubbed his head grievingly. "Sorry dad, I was just, you know, shocked".


    "I''m shocked too, did I shout like you did?"


    "No". Ian pouted.


    "Hehe," Moses finally paid attention to his son again, grinning from ear to ear. "Finally, a coach with a brain has recognized the incredible talents of my son".


    "Give me the contract, let me go through it".


    Sam did as his dad told him to.


    Taking the contract, Mr. Moses wore his sses before carefully scrutinizing the contract. He stopped after only more than 15 minutes was gone.


    And then, he looked at the boys with a big smile on his face.


    "And?" An impatient Sam asked.


    "Calm down boy, don''t be impatient". He smiled smugly. "Well, congrattions my son, you''ll soon be receiving a monthly sry of 150,000 naira".


    "What?!" Ian almost screamed which turned to a yelp as he saw the re from Mr. Moses. "That''s crazy!" He whispered, dragging his pronunciation for emphasis.


    "Anyways, leave it up to your dad". Moses boasted. "150,000 naira is what the lowest earners in the Nigerian professional football league are earning".


    "The fact that he offered you a contract immediately after 1 game means that he likely saw something in you that made him take such decisive action".


    "Trust your dad, today, I shall be your agent".


    "Wait," Sam stopped his dad. "You want to haggle?"


    "Not haggle dummy, in the world of football, we call it negotiate". And then, this man arranged his native Ankara attire before matching over to the middle-aged coach who was on the other side.


    Sam stayed behind with his friend but thinking of something, he asked. "Dad, where will you start from?"


    "What do you take me for? Double of course, 300,000 naira to start with".


    Thinking of the fact that his dad only made 350,000 naira monthly from his own job, Sam felt breathless hearing that amount being called so casually.


    Well, that evening, he learned to respect his dad even more.


    Despite the fact that he could not get his initial target of 300,000 naira, in the end, somehow, Mr. Moses incredibly negotiated a contract worth 250,000 naira monthly for his 17-year-old son.


    It was the perfect Christmas gift that Sam could have ever wished for.


    Coach Yemi Daniel exchanged contacts with the father and son. "Mr. Moses, I''ll chat you up on WhatsApp, let''s finalize the minute details there".


    "That''s ok with me".


    And with that, Sam signed his first professional football contract, officially bing a professional football yer.


    ''This is undoubtedly the best Christmas of my life''. Sam thought.


    On his father''s car with his best friend, as he returned home triumphantly, he finally paid attention to his new system notifications.

 Chapter 20: System awakening

    ~----~


    [You havepleted system mission: Make your mark on the Christmas Game!]


    [Mission penalty has been voided!]


    [Randomizing missionpletion reward¡­, please wait¡­]


    [Randomizationplete!]


    [You have been rewarded with a +2 increase to your dribbling attribute!]


    [Congrattions! You have met the requirements to level up!]


    [Your overall yer rating has increased to 68!]


    ¡­


    yer Attributes:


    *Pace: 70


    *Shot: 69


    *Pass: 74


    *Dribbling: 66


    *Defending: 33


    *Physicality: 60


    *Stamina: 78


    Overall Rating: 68


    ~----~


    Seated in the front sit of his father''s Camry car, Sam had a big smile on his face as he looked at the contents of the system notification.


    Of the yer attributes that the system attributed to him, as an attacking midfielder, there were naturally certain attributes that he was biased towards and one of them was his dribbling ability.


    An attacking midfielder with good dribbling ability was in his element. The random reward of the system falling on his dribbling attribute excited him.


    He was excited for another reason, he wanted to test out the effects of his improved dribbling ability. This was not the time and ce though.


    What surprised Sam though was that, this was not the only notification that the system disyed before him.


    There was an entirely different separate notification tab.


    Sam threw a brief look at his dad who sat in the driver''s sit, he also looked at his best friend who was in the backseat before freely essing his system, tapping at the virtual screen right in front of them to open the new notification.


    "You''re interacting with your system?" Ian noticed and asked.


    "Yeah," Sam nodded.


    Hearing his son and his best friend speak, Moses finally paid attention to his son. "Your mom, have you thought of how we''re going to settle her?"


    Hearing that dreaded name, Sam''s shivered slightly and paused as he took his eyes away from the system notification. "Umm, I thought you had everything under control".


    "What? If you hear in a dream that I have your mom fully under control, you''ll really believe?"


    Sam chuckled. "So, what''s the n?"


    Moses focused back on the road. "Well, Sam if you''re willing to make a few sacrifices, I can promise you that I''ll help you stem the wrath of your mom".


    Hearing that tone, Sam became suspicious. "What type of sacrifice are we talking about, dad?"


    Moses grinned. "Check your bank ount, you should have received the prize money that was promised".


    Hearing that, Sam remembered his prize money as his excitement levels rose again. "Yes!" He eximed. "I''ve received it, 200,000-naira credit alert! That''s the most money I''ve seen in my ount that''s mine".


    Sam was excited as his best friend cheered from the back seat.


    Moses threw nces at the 2 boys and chuckled. "Well, Sam, if you''re willing to part ways with half of your prize money, I can help you with your mom".


    Hearing that, the excitement levels in the car instantly dropped.


    Moses kept his gaze on the road. "What?"


    "Dad, that''s just pure evil!" Samined.


    "Listen to me son, let me exin¡­"


    In the end, after taking a lot of time to exin and convince his son, reluctantly, Sam had no choice but to transfer 100,000 naira to his dad''s ount.


    Today was the best Christmas day of his life, he didn''t want to let his mom ruin it because he was too stingy to part with half of his prize money.


    And with that out of the way, still pained by the dent on his bank ount, he finally paid attention to the other system notification.


    ''Let''s see what we have here''.


    ~----~


    [You havepleted your first system mission!]


    [Congrattions! The system has awakened to level 1!]


    [You have unlocked level 1 perk: Snooping Tool]


    >This is a tool with which you can spy on the status and attributes of other professional football yers<


    ¡­


    [NOTE: To level the system to level 2 and unlock the corresponding level perk,plete hidden system mission.]


    ¡­


    [You havepleted a hidden system mission: Sign your first professional football contract!]


    [Congrattions! The system has awakened to level 2!]


    [You have unlocked level 2 perk: Skills Market]


    >This is a market where all the football skills in the world can be found, from the popr to the obscure. By paying the appropriate price, you can purchase football skills from this market and their masteries<


    >Football skills are ranked ording to mastery. There are 4 major mastery levels, basic, intermediate, advanced, and perfection<


    [Current avable football skills:]


    >¡­<


    ¡­


    [NOTE: To level the system to level 3 and unlock the corresponding level perk,plete hidden system mission.]


    [NOTE: Skill points are needed to purchase skill masteries from the skill market, and they are rewarded after eachpleted mission.]


    ~----~


    Fascinated by what the system was showing to him, Sam was eager to see more but he was interrupted as after an 8-minute drive, before he could focus on the first football skill on disy, his dad finally pulled over on his Camry car into theirpound.


    He was tempted to keep on looking but seeing his mom at the door, Sam gulped before setting his system aside for now.


    At this moment, he worked with abstraction. And hismon sense told him that stemming the wrath of his mom was the greater priority.


    He could see the crazy changes to his systemter.


    As soon as Sam and his dad came out of the car, cing her hands akimbo on her waist, Mrs. Moses was about to raise a storm till she saw Iane out.


    Her mouth was left hanging open for a few seconds till she recovered, she smiled. "Ian, my boy, you came for Christmas?"


    Ian smiled brightly. "Yes ma, I missed your food".


    Hearing that, this middle-aged woman beamed. "There''s a boy that knows how to appreciate food," her smile widened. "You came right on time then my son, food is ready".


    And with that, Sam and his dad were able to temporarily escape the storm.


    Ian went in first, Moses followed, but as Sam passed, Mrs. Moses frowned. "Sam, you reek of sweat, what did you do?"


    "Haha, I think I have to go take my bath".


    "Come here!"


    Sam dared not stay, he was gone to his room to take his bath.


    Before his wife could raise a storm though, Moses finally winked at her, gesturing for her to follow him to the room.


    This woman had a suspicious look on her face but the asion reduced her paranoia. ''It''s Christmas, did he get a gift for me?''


    She followed her husband to the room after leaving instructions for Sophia to serve a te of food for the visiting Ian.

 Chapter 21: Purchasing first skill mastery

    In the room, seated on their bed, Mrs. Moses had a suspicious look on her face as she stared at her husband who with a subtle smile on his lips was operating his phone.


    After about a minute or so, her patience could notst longer. "Is this why you brought me here? To look at you press your phone?"


    "And¡­, done". Moses finally raised his head to look at his wife. "Check your phone".


    He barely spoke when his wife''s iPhone made a notification sound.


    Beep!


    Staring at her husband still suspiciously, this woman nced at her phone. Immediately she saw the term ''credit alert'', she picked the phone up with urgency, then opening it with her facial recognition, she opened the notification message.


    {New SMS message!}


    {GTBANK: You have received a credit alert of 80,000 naira from Moses Akudo Robinson}


    This woman looked at her husband again. She wanted to re at him but she couldn''t, a sheepish smile crept up her face as she stared at him. Her bodynguage already changed. "Hehe," she chuckled. "What is this about? Are you trying to bribe me or something?"


    She shifted closer to her husband on the bed. "Is this another Christmas present? You already bought gifts for me before".


    Moses didn''t reject his wife though, expertly drawing her closer into an embrace with one hand as he sniffed the scent of his wife greedily.


    He hugged her from behind before gently kissing her on the neck. "Well, that''s a Christmas gift from your son".


    Mrs. Moses paused for a few seconds. "My son?" She wanted to turn around but since her husband hugged her from behind, she couldn''t. "Exin". She demanded.


    Behind her, Moses smiled, then groping around on the bed, he picked up a document before cing it before his wife.


    Hesitantly, Mrs. Moses picked up the document which seemed like a contract before opening it. "What is this?" She asked.


    "Read it". Moses smiled.


    Mrs. Moses was literate, a degree holder in Guidance and Counselling. Opening the document and confirming that it was a contract, she threw another nce at her husband before reading through it.


    The more she read, the more bbergasted this woman became till she could no longer hold it in. "Wait, are you saying Sam is about to start receiving a monthly sry of 200,000 naira per month?"


    "Yes," her husband responded from behind her. "And it''s just the beginning. As his career progresses and if by luck, he gets signed by a European team which is something I''m confident in sooner orter, he''ll start earning the real big bucks".


    "Sarah, do you know that the highest earning Nigerian footballers abroad earn over 100 million naira per week?"


    "What?!" His wife almost screamed before covering her mouth, eliciting a chuckle from Moses as he gently caressed her hair from behind.


    "Moses, don''t y with me, are you serious?"


    "I''m dead serious, I can check it online and show you if you really want".


    "Wow!" She eximed. "I believe you".


    "So, my son is a professional football yer now?"


    "Yes," Moses answered then thinking of something, he chuckled. "You were always against Sam ying football, honestly, I expected to be punched even, that''s one reason I''m hugging you from behind".


    "Why did you ept what I''m saying so easily?"


    "Moses, are you kidding me?" Sarah scoffed. "ying football and getting injured for nothing, incurring unnecessary expenses for treatment, that''s just foolish, it''s why I hate football".


    "But ying football and earning 250,000 naira a month?" She chuckled. "I''ll be a fool to stop my 17-year-old boy from ying, especially when this money might increase in the future like you say".


    "I''m a practical woman, you know". She acted smug.


    Behind her, Moses chuckled, then suddenly, he pinched her on the butt. "Today''s Christmas, are you not going to reward me?"


    "You cheeky bastard!" She cursed him.


    Well, just a few secondster, she was already on top him as the couple scrambled to remove their shirts.


    "Wait, did you lock the door?"


    "Umm, I think I did".


    "Good".


    ¡­


    While his dad expertly settled the problem of his mom with his money while his best friend stayed in the sitting room, watching a movie with his sister, Sam stayed in his room after bathing as heid down on the bed.


    He took a few minutes to reminisce about the memories of this evening again before finally focusing on what attracted his curiosity, his system.


    He stopped somewhere due to his mom.


    At this moment, fascinated by the new unlocked perks of the system, Sam paid attention to them.


    ''The snooping tool, it''s useful, it''ll help me urately ess the level of my opponents after I start ying professionally''.


    ''It should help me in dominating and winning games''.


    The snooping tool was not what attracted his full curiosity at this moment though, rather, what attracted his curiosity was the skills market.


    ~----~


    [Skills Market]


    [Current avable football skills: 3]


    [Avable football skills will be updated every 48 hours]


    >Double Stepover<


    (Host mastery of this skill is at the basic level)


    (Spend 10 skill points to improve this skill to the intermediate mastery level)


    ¡­


    >Cruyff Turn<


    (Host mastery of this skill is at the basic level)


    (Spend 10 skill points to improve this skill to the intermediate mastery level)


    ¡­


    >Spatial Awareness<


    (Host has not yet unlocked a mastery of this skill)


    (Spend 2 skill points to unlock basic mastery of this skill)


    ¡­


    [Avable Skill Points: 3]


    ~----~


    Sam was a bit disappointed by the fact that the skills market only had 3 different skills whose masteries were avable to be purchased by him.


    He was relieved when he saw that the avable skills could be refreshed, but he would have to wait 48 hours before essing new skills.


    Despite the fact that he had been with the Ultimate Football System for more than a week already, apart from the daily quest that helped him get back in shape for the Christmas game, he didn''t have much more experience with the system.


    He didn''t even know how the increase of +2 attribute points to his dribbling attribute would affect his game.


    Everything was still new to him and it was also why he felt so excited exploring it. Of the 3 skills that were avable in the market, Sam didn''t need to think long before he arrived at his choice.


    ''I already have basic mastery of the others, besides, for a midfielder, spatial awareness is a most-have skill''.


    He was even shocked that the system skills market had it for sale.


    And even more importantly, he only had enough skills points to purchase the basic mastery of spatial awareness currently.


    This is why Sam did not hesitate, spending 2 of his 3 skill points immediately to purchase the football skill.


    [You have purchased basic mastery of a football skill: Spatial Awareness]

 Chapter 22: A memorable Christmas

    When Moses and his wife finally came out of their rooms, the couple were glowing. They seemed to have just taken a bath.


    And with a big smile on his face, the man of the house finally announced the big news officially.


    "Everyone, today, we''re not just celebrating Christmas, we''re also celebrating Sam getting his first professional football contract".


    "What?" Sophia stared at her dad; confusion written all over her face.


    "Sophia, we''re celebrating!" Mrs. Moses jumped to meet her daughter. "Sam is about to begin making money from football".


    In the sitting room, Ian and Sam stayed silent, staring at the woman like she was an entirely different existence.


    Sam was bbergasted. ''Is this really my mom?''


    Sam looked at his dad who winked at him, giving him the ''told ya'' eye.


    Ian shifted closer to his best friend. "Women are scary". He muttered.


    Sam nodded in agreement. "They''re even scarier when money is involved".


    The day was already dark but their Christmas celebration was not over yet.


    Due to the good news today and since he was in a happy mood, Mr. Moses decided to splurge some money on his family to make today even more memorable as he took them out to an acimed restaurant in Abraka.


    After eating, they watched a nice movie in a cinema before finally dropping Ian off at his home.


    Today was truly the best Christmas day of Sam''s life.


    ¡­


    The next day, waking up, there was a lot of house chores for Sam and his sister to take care of since he was not going to work today.


    It was while they took care of the dirty dishes that his phone rang.


    Looking at his android phone screen, Sam''s eyes widened.


    {Iing call from Coach Yemi Daniel!}


    Cleaning his hand immediately, Sam took the call. "Hello," he spoke into the phone.


    "Hey champ, how was your Christmas celebration yesterday?"


    Hearing that question, Sam smiled. "It was the best Christmas day of my life. Getting my first professional contract already made it so, but my dad did even more as he took the whole family out".


    "Ah, so coochie smoochie," the middle-aged coach chuckled. "Speaking of your dad, the way he was haggling yesterday baffled me. Is your dad by any means a barrister?"


    Sam smiled proudly. "Yes, my dad is a certifiedwyer".


    "No wonder he easily took preceding over all the contract stress. You can make him your agent you know, after you be big".


    "Coach, do you think I can be big in football?" Sam smiled cheekily and asked.


    "Of course, definitely". Coach Yemi answered immediately, then he continued. "Anyways, I called to send you the matchday 1 fixtures of the Nigerian professional football league".


    Sam was startled. "The league season is just starting?"


    He heard an audible sigh from the phone. "That''s Nigeria for you, it''splicated but a lot of things are holding the league back".


    "That doesn''t concern you now though, what concerns you and I is making sure that you settle into the club to y your first professional football game".


    "Never stop training, I want that belly fat gone before you resume".


    "Yes, Coach".


    "Our first game of the season is on 14th next month; I want you to report to our club building at the very least by 9th January. You''re our newest signing, your unveiling to our club fans is scheduled to be held on 10th January".


    "About your amodation and feeding, don''t worry, the club will take care of all that, its specified in the contract".


    "By the way, the first league game of the season is on 8th January".


    "Don''t worry Sam, I''m alreadymunicating with your dad on WhatsApp, we''ll make sure youe to Abia State and settle downfortably".


    "All I want from you is to focus on getting back to tip-top condition".


    "I''ll try my best coach".


    "Good, that''s all. We''re still in a festive period, so enjoy yourself".


    And with that, they ended the call. Shortly after, Sam''s phone beeped; opening it, he found the matchday 1 fixture of the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL).


    (Matchday 1:)


    >Akwa United ¨C Bendel Insurance<


    >Date: 08 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Nasarawa United ¨C Enyimba<


    >Date: 14 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Enugu Rangers ¨C Abia Warriors<


    >Date: 15 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >teau United ¨C Shooting Stars<


    >Date: 15 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Kwara United ¨C Gombe United<


    >Date: 15 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Remo Stars ¨C El Kanemi Warriors FC<


    >Date: 15 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Bayelsa United ¨C Dakkada<


    >Date: 15 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Wikki Tourist ¨C Niger Tornadoes<


    >Date: 15 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Doma United ¨C Sunshine Stars<


    >Date: 15 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Rivers United ¨C Lobi Stars<


    >Date: 15 Jan, 2023<


    "Can you really y against the yers of these clubs with those tiny legs of yours?"


    Sam looked up only to see the spying eyes of his sister, he chuckled. "My haters can keep on hating, your hate got nothing on me".


    And with that, he elerated his work, finishing in no time.


    Immediately after the home chores were done, before his mom coulde out to give him more work, Sam wore his workout clothes before quickly jogging out of the house toplete his daily system quest.


    Even after ying the Christmas Game, the daily system quest continued.


    Almost an hourter, after he was donepleting all the tasks of the daily system quest, Sam jogged to his best friend''s ce.


    Of course, he didn''t go inside since he reeked of sweat, only greeting Mr. and Mrs. Wealth from their gate.


    His best friend came out to meet him and without hesitation, excitedly, he told Ian of his conversation with Coach Yemi Daniels this morning.


    "Wow! They''re preparing an unveiling for you? That''s cool man, really".


    He had a hearty conversation with his best friend, excitedly discussing various topics about football, including the current situation in the top 5 leagues of Europe. It was after their conversation that Sam finally jogged back home.


    Entering the house, his mom conveniently ignored the sweat on his body this time as Sam went to his room to bath and freshen up.


    Once he was done, he came out to eat and as soon as he saw his father, Sam threw the question that had been niggling in his mind since. "Dad, why is the Nigerian professional football league just starting next month?"

 Chapter 23: Preparations for a new football season

    "Dad, why is the Nigerian professional football league just starting next month?"


    Moses didn''t look at his son first, rather he threw the first nce at his wife. Sarah reacted like she didn''t notice her husband''s look at all.


    And then, taking a bite from the chicken on his te, this man swallowed before answering his son. "This is Nigeria son, that''s the answer".


    "Really?" Sam asked, skeptical.


    Moses nodded. "A typical NPFL season starts around August or September and ends around May or June of the following year. Of course, the exact schedule varies slightly depending on certain factors".


    "This time, the drastic change is primarily due to administrative and logistical challenges within the league. The league has faced disruptions in recent years, including scheduling difficulties and organizational changes within the management".


    "It''s all money Sam, that''s why I said the answer is Nigeria".


    "Besides, I once read that the dys are also because of the need to align the domestic league schedule with internationalpetitions, who knows?"


    "Anyways, the dyed start should allow the league to be better prepared for a long season. It also means this season calendar will be shorter than previous seasons".


    "Ok, that''s enough football talk," Sarah finally bumped into the conversation. "Table manners," she stressed, "let''s focus on our food".


    After 26th, the days moved fast for Sam as he continued diligentlypleting his daily system quest tasks while also regrly hitting the gym.


    Before the new year, Sam''s efforts were rewarded as his pace attribute increased by +2 while his physicality attribute increased by +3. This took his overall rating through a crazy jump, jumping all the way from 68 to 70.


    Finally, his overall rating was no longer gray, now showing yellow.


    It didn''t mean much but to Sam, it felt like a big achievement and it also served as more motivation for him to work harder.


    This was an advantage that he had over every other football yer in the world. Unlike them, with his system, he could keep real-time track of his attributes, including how much he was improving or if he was stagnating.


    This real-time tracking was doing a whole lot of good to his confidence.


    Now, his attributes looked like this.


    ~---~


    yer Attributes:


    *Pace: 72


    *Shot: 69


    *Pass: 74


    *Dribbling: 66


    *Defending: 33


    *Physicality: 63


    *Stamina: 78


    Overall Rating: 70


    ~----~


    Sam celebrated the asion by treating himself, buying a Barbeque fish andplementing it with a bottle of Hondia yoghurt.


    New years'' celebration was pretty muted in his home. The whole family stayed at home, taking advantage of the constant light to watch family shows through most of the day.


    They didn''t go out but still, it was an enjoyable experience.


    And finally, it was 2023.


    By now, Sam looked entirely unrecognizable from how he was just 2 weeks ago. All his belly fat was gone, reced by lean muscles and a fit shape.


    His body was in tip-top condition.


    "Damn, I''m handsome," he muttered as he stared at the mirror in his room after just taking his bath.


    By now, he already resigned from his internship work in the pharmacy and with his dad working with Coach Yemi Daniel, he was to travel to Abia State by 8th January. His dad would take him there personally.


    8th felt far at first but focused on different tasks, the days moved forward swiftly like the flipping pages of a book when engrossed in a good story and before Sam knew it, it was the D-day already.


    Just a day ago, another of Sam''s attributes improved again. It was the physicality attribute again, increasing by a figure of +1.


    ~----~


    *Physicality: 64


    ~----~


    ¡­


    8th January, 2023¡­


    ¡­


    Sam could not believe what he was seeing. ''Dammit mom, I''m not traveling abroad yet, I''m just going to Abia State''. He thought exasperatedly.


    His mom was not having it though as she wiped her tears, ring at him. "Kneel down my son, let me pray for you".


    Sam threw a nce at his dad who conveniently ignored his plight before kneeling. His best friend who also came that morning for the asion held back a stifledugh as it happened.


    "In Jesus name," she started praying, her eyes fervently closed. "My son, as you go out there, no powers of the enemy shall overpower you".


    "Your haters, does that want your downfall, they shall fall in your ce".


    "You shall go there for exploits".


    "You dad said your contract can be improved. As you go there, you are favored, your contract shall be improved, you shall earn even more money".


    "As you y football, injuries are far away from you".


    "You shall be the best among your peers, this and others I pray for in Jesus mighty name".


    "Amen". The others chorused in agreement.


    Sarah red at her son. "Come on, say amen!"


    "Amen". Sam said.


    And with that, she hugged him, kissing him repeatedly on the forehead before sending him off with his dad to Abia State. Ian followed on the journey; he would return with Mr. Moses in 2 days.


    Arriving at Abia State after a long journey that took over 6 hours on the road, his dad driving an incredible distance of 300+ kilometers, Sam was introduced to the club hierarchy as he was led by his coach.


    He was also led to the guest quarters where a 1-bedroom apartment was allocated for him, it was his apartment for the foreseeable future.


    Mr. Moses inspected everything and approved.


    The next day, 9th January, for the first time in his life, Sam was introduced to the home stadium of Enyimba FC, the Enyimba International Stadium that was located in the city of Aba here in Abia State.


    There, he finally met his teammates on the pitch for the first time as they did the introductions after which he trained with them for the very first time on a football pitch.


    Of course, the one yer that Sam paid attention to was the yer upying his preferred position, the attacking midfield position.


    The 23-year-old yer was the attacking midfielder of Enyimba FC.


    And for the first time, Sam finally got the opportunity to make use of his snooping tool on a professional football yer.


    ~----~


    [You have made use of Snooping Tool!]


    yer Name: Cyril Olisema


    Age: 23


    Current Career Status: NPFL yer


    Talent Rating: D-


    yer Position: Attacking Midfield


    yer Attributes:


    *Pace: 70


    *Shot: 65


    *Pass: 71


    *Dribbling: 68


    *Defending: 47


    *Physicality: 65


    *Stamina: 67


    Overall Rating: 69


    [NOTE: To ess the skills of yers and their respective masteries, upgrade Snooping tool to level 2]


    [Snooping Tool upgrade requirement: Level system to level 3]


    ~----~


    The first thing that came to Sam''s mind was, ''damn! I''m better than him''.

 Chapter 24: Training [1]

    In elite football clubs, football training is done every day under the supervision of the club''s coach. The only exception was if after a big game, the coach gave his yers time out to recover or a bonus day out.


    On his first day training as a football yer of Enyimba FC, apart from simply training, Sam also took time out to check out his teammates.


    Coach Yemi Daniel already took charge of the team for a time, and of course, he had a preferred starting lineup in ce.


    These set of 11 yers were the yers that Sam had his eyes on.


    And Sam didn''t just set his eyes on them, of course, he also used his system''s snooping tool on them to know how thick thepetition here was and to have an idea of the overall level of his teammates.


    Typically lining his team up in a 4-3-3 formation which allowed him to bnce his team''s attack and defense, this was Coach Yemi Daniel''s starting 11.


    ~----~


    [You have made use of Snooping Tool!]


    [Goalkeeper:]


    [yer Name: Olorunleke Ojo]


    yer Position: Goalkeeper


    Overall Rating: 70


    ¡­


    [Defenders:]


    [yer Name: Timothy Dadi]


    yer Position: Center Back


    Overall Rating: 68


    ¡­


    [yer Name: Adekunle Adeleke]


    yer Position: Center Back


    Overall Rating: 67


    ¡­


    [yer Name: Sadiq Abubakar]


    yer Position: Right Back


    Overall Rating: 62


    ¡­


    [yer Name: Ezekiel Bassey]


    yer Position: Left Back


    Overall Rating: 65


    ¡­


    [Midfielders:]


    [yer Name: Austin dapo]


    yer Position: Central Midfielder


    Overall Rating: 72


    [Special Title: Captain]


    ¡­


    [yer Name: Cyril Olisema]


    yer Position: Attacking Midfielder


    Overall Rating: 69


    ¡­


    [yer Name: Farouk Mohammed]


    yer Position: Defensive Midfielder


    Overall Rating: 65


    ¡­


    [Forwards:]


    [yer Name: Emeka Obioma]


    yer Position: Center Forward


    Overall Rating: 71


    ¡­


    [yer Name: Chijioke Mbaoma]


    yer Position: Left Winger


    Overall Rating: 71


    ¡­


    [yer Name: Victor Mbaoma]


    yer Position: Right Winger


    Overall Rating: 69


    ~----~


    By getting most of the information of his teammates presented to him on a tter of gold, without even ying with them yet to build chemistry, Sam already had a good understanding of their gamey and how to best integrate with them.


    The system truly was a cheat code to him.


    With the snooping tool, he was able to tell the best yer of this team immediately. Austin dapo, the central midfielder who was also the captain of the team was the best yer of Enyimba FC with an overall rating of 72.


    ''I need to befriend him,'' Sam thought. ''I can learn from him''. He stared at the 26-year-old with yearning in his eyes, envying how much ying experience he had.


    Well, Sam did not juste here to observe his teammates with his system''s snooping tool though. More importantly, he came here to y football.


    Another factor that made him feel motivated at this moment was that after observing his rival through the snooping tool, he was suddenly more confident of discing Cyril Olisema to take his spot in the starting 11.


    Coach Yemi Daniel took it slow at first, starting the training with light drills to get the yers in the flow.


    They went through passing drills, agility drills, and jogging before they finally lined up on the pitch of the stadium, setting up 11 to 11 on both sides.


    Unlike Coach James during his training game, Coach Yemi Daniel didn''t put all his best yers in one side though. Instead, he drew a lot to determine the yers that would be in either team A or team B.


    And as luck would have it, Sam got his chance to impress as his lot put him in team B where he faced against his rival, Olisema in team A.


    This was his chance to show what he was capable of.


    It was even easier for him to showcase his talent on his first day of training since the lot favored team B, putting the better yers here, including the captain.


    Sam scored a goal, chipping in with 2 assists as he put in a great disy during his first training match with his teammates.


    After the game, Coach Yemi Daniel approached him to personallymend him, while also finding the time to critic aspects of his game.


    "You yed well, Sam. I''m surprised, I expected to see you in good shape but not this good, you''re in perfect shape. I give you points for that".


    "Like usual, your stamina showed on the pitch but I couldn''t help but notice something, your pace seemed to have increased".


    "I see someone''s putting the work in the gym, right?"


    Sam grinned. "I now have a job, the club is paying me, I will do my best to repay your faith".


    Coach Yemi Daniel nodded. "But your game is not yet perfect. At times, on the pitch, your inexperience shines through a lot".


    "You are too eager to drive forward and create something with the ball that you risk losing the ball in dangerous situations too many times".


    "In a real game, that can easily cost your team".


    "Your dribbling is ok, but not at that elite level to take such risks consistently. You have talent, but don''t let it get to your head, you''re still a rookie".


    "Take risks, but remember to y like a rookie, trust your teammates more".


    "Though I''d have to say I was impressed by your passing". This coach finally smiled again. "For a yer of your age, your reading of the game is already elite".


    "You have the vision to spot runs and the technique to throw passes already, we just need to shore it up a bit and you''d be an elite yer in no time".


    "You have a lot of potential Sam, but don''t let it get to your head, work hard".


    With that, the coach finally left to attend to more yers.


    They had a few minutes to rest before trainingmenced again. After another intense training drill, this one mostly in the gym, Coach Yemi Daniel finally dismissed his yers for the day.


    Before Sam left to the guest house to his apartment, Coach Daniel reminded him of something. "Don''t forget about tomorrow, your unveiling".


    "Oh". Sam said; ironically, he already forgot about his unveiling.


    Tomorrow was going to be interesting.

 Chapter 25: Training [2]

    10th January, 2023¡­


    ¡­


    On this day, Samuel Moses, the newest summer signing of Enyimba FC was finally presented to a stadium with only a few hundred fans present.


    Despite the low reception of fans, the media publicity overshadowed it.


    Unlike in European clubs where tens of thousands of fanse for the unveiling of their club''s new signings, football in lesser leagues across the world didn''t attract as much attention, which was directly proportional to lesser fansing for unveiling ceremonies.


    Despite everything, the unveiling ceremony was a big sess as with a big smile on his face, Sam faced the camera and said his first words.


    "I may be young but I''m ambitious".


    "I didn''te to Enyimba FC to be lost in the history of this club. I''m determined to do my best to help this club win titles and extend our record as the most sessful team in NPFL history".


    "Up Enyimba!" He pumped a fist in the air and celebrated with a big smile on his face amid cheers and apuse from the fans.


    Of course, his dad organized that speech for him.


    And with that, the unveiling ceremony came to an end.


    It was not the end of the day for Sam though. Despite the fact that he really wanted to celebrate this moment, he put pleasure aside for now as he quickly entered the pitch to join the other yers for training.


    Today, the fans would watch him train for the first time.


    All the yers were hard at work, giving their best to return to tip-top condition in preparation for the new uing season.


    Their first game of the season wouldmence in just 4 days.


    While Sam trained with his teammates even as his best friend and dad toured the city of Aba, unknowing to him, his unveiling already caused a slight storm in the Nigerian football circle as pundits spected where Coach Yemi Daniel unveiled the youngster from.


    The NTA News Channel covered it.


    "Samuel Moses, have you ever heard of the boy?" The host of the show asked.


    "Nah," the pundit shook his head. "Personally, I think it''s just a show of muscle from Enyimba FC to reassert themselves in the Nigerian football stratosphere since they were not so dominantst season".


    "Last season, Rivers United created history as they won their first-ever NPFL championship title after an impressive campaign".


    "To me, it''s just Coach Yemi Daniel trying to show that his team is making waves but to me, it''s just foolish bravado".


    "If we ride on what we sawst season, Rivers United is currently scary and Enyimba should be thinking of signing a veteran to increase their chances ofpeting, not an unproven youngster who popped out of nowhere".


    The host looked at the pundit. "Emma, do you think Enyimba has what it takes to take the NPFL title back?"


    "If Enyimba has what it takes?" This pundit shook his head. "Nah, no. With the way their recruitment is going, I don''t see them winning the league title this season unless something radical changes".


    "Well, sports fans, that''s it for today. Now, we''ll be moving over to the top news of the top 5 European football leagues".


    "Emma, what do you¡­"


    ¡­


    By the end of training today, Coach Yemi Daniel finally dropped his preferred starting line-up that was to start the first game of the season in 4 days, including the yers that would start on the bench.


    With much hope and expectations, Sam looked through the list.


    Goalkeeper: Olorunleke Ojo


    Center Back: Timothy Dadi


    Center Back: Adekunle Adeleke


    Right Back: Sadiq Abubakar


    Left Back: Ezekiel Bassey


    Central Midfielder: Austin dapo


    Attacking Midfielder: Cyril Olisema


    Defensive Midfielder: Farouk Mohammed


    Center Forward: Emeka Obioma


    Left Winger: Chijioke Mbaoma


    Right Winger: Victor Mbaoma


    The starting line-up remained unchanged.


    Sam tried not to let it show on his face but staring at the coach''s chosen starting line-up, he could not help but feel a little disappointed. He was to start the first game of the season on the bench.


    He didn''t let himself stay down for too long though. ''It really was a stretch to think I can start the first game of the season from the first minute''.


    ''Before today, I''ve never yed a professional match before, I''m as inexperienced as inexperience can get''.


    ''I shouldn''t be impatient''.


    ''My time wille''.


    With these words of affirmation, Sam was able to go home with no unnecessary thoughts stuck in his head. He had a lot of gist for his dad and best friend, he was loving life as a footballer already.


    ¡­


    The next day, again, it was all about training as Sam gave his best.


    Again, with no distractions in his head, he impressed in training, especially wowing his coach and teammates today as he trained with even more determination to impress.


    Today, he managed to score 2 goals while also chipping in with an assist.


    This was when the captain of the team, Austin dapo finally noticed him as the central midfielder voluntarily offered to integrate him with the rest of the team. Austin was jovial and light-hearted, and he was also damn good at socializing.


    With him, it was even easier for Sam to ease into this team.


    After training today though, Sam was sad because after spending 2 days with him here in his first professional club, his dad and best friend were to go back to Delta State to continue their lives.


    Mr. Moses held his son by the shoulder. "You''re a man, Sam. Sooner orter, you would have left the house to make a living for yourself".


    "The foundation has already been built, work on it son".


    "Make me and your mom proud".


    Sam felt emotional but he nodded seriously. "I will".


    He watched his dad drive off as Ian kept on waving him goodbye from the car. "You better keep in touch on WhatsApp!" Ian shouted.


    Sam chuckled and answered. "I will".


    Once the car was gone, he went back to his apartment, going through today''s training in his head while exploring with his system.


    He also paid attention to the result of the first game of the season that was yed a few days ago, on Saturday.


    (Match day 1)


    >Akwa United 2-0 Bendel Insurance<


    Despite the fact that Bendel Insurance yed their opponents away from home, they were able to overwhelm them, snatching all 3 points from their opening game of the season as they asserted early dominance in the league.


    And just like that, another day was gone.


    ¡­


    With no distraction in the way, Sam was able to focus on football for the next few days as time moved fast and before he knew it, it was Thursday already.


    Coach Yemi gave his yers the day off to rest properly for Saturday''s game as they already did all the tactical preparations that they needed for the game.


    Sam spent the whole day at home, rxing and watching a movie.


    He slept early to wake up early tomorrow morning.


    Then, the next day, Friday 13th January, getting set early, he went to the stadium to meet up with his teammates and his coach as they entered a bus for Nasarawa State.


    Their first game of the season was in away ground.


    They would be ying Nasarawa United in the Lafia Township Stadium in Lafia, Nasarawa State. It was a long and grueling 10 hours'' journey.


    The yers arrived totally exhausted. This was another problem that professional football yers in Nigeria faced, bad roads.


    And of course, clubs in Nigeria didn''t have the money to book flights for their yers every away game.


    The yers had no choice but to deal with it. Checking into their hotel rooms, they gathered and after onest brief coaching session, Coach Yemi sent his yers to their room to go sleep and rest for tomorrow''s game.


    While sleeping, Sam had a dream. He dreamt that Coach Yemi Daniel changed his mind at thest minute, changing the lineup to include him in the starting 11 and he scored a hat trick on his professional debut game.


    He woke up with a big smile on his face. ''I feel good,'' he thought.


    And then, getting set, he left his room.


    It was the D-day, Saturday, 14th January.


    Today, it was Enyimba FC vs the Solid Miners of Nasarawa.

 Chapter 26: Enyimba FC vs Nasarawa United

    FWEEEE!


    Immediately after the referee''s whistle sounded, the action started on the pitch as Enyimba started kickoff.


    Immediately after getting the ball, Austin dapo, the captain of Enyimba trapped the ball with the heel of his boot before looking up as he spotted all 3 of his forwards already bombing down the pitch, anticipating a pass.


    Enyimba FC aimed to start the game strongly and score a lightning-fast goal.


    Bam!


    Austin struck the ball the next moment just as the Nasarawa yers closed him down, unleashing a dipping shot that rose up before falling to his team''s center forward, Emeka.


    The opposition center backs immediately closed the center forward down but holding them off with his impressive strength, Emeka used his quick feet to tease them in, before using a quick leg over to evade and explode off with speed.


    In just a moment after that sharp burst of speed, this yer was one-on-one with the goalkeeper even as the chasing center back slightly tugged at his jersey from behind.


    Emeka shrugged the tug off before unleashing a shot straight at the goalkeeper, that was his mistake as the ball hit the rushing and sprawling goalkeeper on the face before bouncing back into the field of y.


    After a few scrambling in the box, Nasarawa United was able to clear the ball up field to safety as the game settled and started in earnest.


    Just a few minutes in, it was clear that both teams were fairly even.


    Despite the fact that they were ying away from home, Enyimba FC under Coach Yemi Daniel stayed firm to their footballing philosophy, ying fluid football with their 4-3-3 formation.


    Nasarawa United did not y much different as they started the game with a fluid 4-4-2 formation with 4 midfielders that enabled them wrestle for control in the midfield battle led by the Enyimba midfield general, Austin dapo himself.


    During the first few dozen minutes of the game, the game stayed tight as neither side was able to break the opposition down and create clear-cut chances, till just after the 30th minute of the game.


    Winning the ball back deep in his half in the midfield, Farouk, the Enyimba defensive midfielder quickly looked before ying a short pass to his captain.


    Austin held the ball, drawing the press in even as he surveyed the pitch, and this was when he spotted a run.


    Bam!


    Hitting the ball cleanly with the inside of his boot, he curled a pass towards the right wing where Victor Mbaoma stormed down the pitch, narrowly avoiding being caught offside.


    He was able to beat his man with his pace, charge into the 18-yard box, drive forward some more and with the center backs preupied with marking the dangerous Chijioke who shared the same surname with him, lurking, he had all the time and space in the world to shoot and shoot was what he did.


    Mohammed Gdima, the Nasarawa United goalkeeper reacted but there was little he could do as Victor slotted the ball into the bottom right corner.


    "Goal!" This winger jumped and pumped his fist in the air in celebration.


    In the 32nd minute of the game, Enyimba FC was up 0-1.


    When the game restarted, Nasarawa United immediately upped the tempo, ying with more urgency and directness as they went for the equalizing goal but this intensity left gaps in their defense line.


    This time, it was Austin again who spotted the run, ying a through pass for his attacking midfielder, Cyril Olisema to run into.


    This attacking midfielder was free to run through on goal and alone with the goalkeeper, he unleashed a shot into the top left corner of the post.


    Mohammed Gdima, the Nasarawa United goalkeeper stood no chance.


    "Goalll!" Screaming loudly, Olisema ran to the corner g before sliding on his knees in celebration as he pointed at himself.


    Then standing up, he faced the camera and yelled. "I''m him!" He was clearly sending a message to someone.


    In the 37th minute of the game, he increased his team''s lead to 0-2 and from there on, Nasarawa United''s struggles truly began.


    They tried to no avail to break down their opposition''s defense in the first half even as they stayed wary in the back against the threat of Emeka, the deadly Enyimba FC center forward.


    The game stayed tight and the first half ended 0-2.


    Nasarawa United made 2 changes in the 2nd half, one of them involving hooking off the 4th midfielder in favor of a more attacking yer in Josiah Oche, a center forward.


    Coach Yemi Daniel made no changes.


    When the game restarted, Nasarawa United became even more rampant, flooding their opposition''s half in numbers as they were desperate to score twice and bring the game back level in front of their fans.


    Despite their efforts, Enyimba FC stayedpact, ying amazing football as Austin dapo stayed at the heart of their valiant resistance.


    Till the 70th minute, Nasarawa United saw no breakthrough as Coach Yemi Daniel finally made a change, hooking 2 yers off, one of them being Victor who scored the first goal of the game as he made his team more defensive.


    On the bench, Sam fidgeted anxiously, asionally throwing nces his coach''s way but Coach Yemi Daniel never paid attention to him, staying focused on the game till the 78th minute of the pitch.


    The coach briefly turned to look at him on the bench and made a signal with his hand. "Sam, get ready, you''ll soon enter the pitch".


    ''Phew!'' Sam did not care that it was in the 78th minute of the game, excitement coursed through him as he immediately got set.


    After a little warming up session, in the 80th minute of the game, Sam was introduced into the game, recing Olisema as Nasarawa United made another offensive change.


    Entering the pitch finally, Sam felt like this was a defining moment in his life.


    The pitch was hot but it didn''t affect him, it only made him more focused even as his blood boiled to join in on the action.


    Before the game restarted though, his system lit up with a mission notification for the first time in a while.


    ~----~


    [You have unlocked a system mission: It is your debut game; make your mark, make it memorable!]


    [Details: Score a goal or give an assist]


    [Mission Reward: Awakened real-time game experience umtion]


    ¡­


    [Penalty for mission failure: No rewards forpleting system daily quest for 3 straight days!]


    ~----~


    ''Damn, not the penalty again!''

 Chapter 27: A mixed debut performance

    FWEEEE!


    As soon as the referee''s whistle sounded, every distraction left Sam''s head as all his focus honed in on the game before him, boosted by the incentives offered to him by the system and the drive of his personal ambition.


    ''I need to make my mark on this game!''


    ''A goal perhaps, maybe an assist, I must get one!''


    Nasarawa United restarted y from the throw in and immediately, they started their attacking raids against the Enyimba FC defense,unching attack after attack with their overwhelming numbers.


    This was where Sam was caught off-guard.


    As an attacking midfielder since he was a kid, most of Sam''s instincts on the pitch were that of an attacking yer.


    After all, tracking back to mark opposition yers and defend was boring, definitely not as exciting as bombing forward with the ball, dribbling through multiple yers, and scoring an incredible solo goal.


    Yet at this moment, faced against the ultra-offensive momentum of Nasarawa United, Sam was forced against his will to track back and defend.


    For literally 5 minutes after Sam entered the game, his leg didn''t touch the ball once as Nasarawa United dominated possession,ying siege to his box even as he defended alongside his teammates.


    He didn''t like it but he had no choice.


    He was even furious at his coach. ''Why did you take Victor off? Now, we''re ying defensive football, how am I supposed to score or give an assist like this?''


    ''F*ck! I hate this''.


    Despite his thoughts though, he defended, martialed and led by Austin dapo who even in this moment when his team was beingid siege upon wasfortable and in his element.


    Defending was second nature to this center midfielder.


    "Sam, defend!" Austin kept on shouting.


    "Close him down, don''t give them chances to shoot from distance!" He kept yelling, disying his capability as a vocal captain on the pitch.


    Luckily for Sam, he was just being introduced into the game, so he had fresh legs and to his credit, he had a lot of stamina.


    After 6 minutes of beingid siege upon, it was Sam who finally won the ball back with his relentless running as sticking his right leg out, he poked the ball away from the leg of the Nasarawa United center midfielder.


    "Pass, pass!" Sam heard a yer shout immediately, he didn''t know who.


    He didn''t pass immediately though. ''This is my moment, I won the ball!'' He thought. ''I need to work it and make the most out of it''.


    ''I won''t have many chances toplete the system mission''.


    Instead of passing, Sam pushed the ball forward and ran after it, intent on starting the counterattack himself and scoring if the opportunity came or at the very leastying on the assist.


    He barely pushed the ball when he heard the screeching sound of boots sliding through the pitch.


    Sam flinched, jumping as the boots hit the ball, also catching his legs in the process as he copsed on the pitch.


    Sam just lost possession in his half, close to his box.


    This was a big mistake; at first he was stunned, but then he reacted.


    To redeem his mistake, instinctively, he clutched his leg, screaming as if he was in pain when he was not but the referee paid him no attention.


    One opposition yer slid in to win the ball back, pushing it into space, then another one ran into the free ball and unleashed a rocket shot from distance.


    Boom!


    It was Josiah Oche with the rocket shot!


    The Enyimba FC yers reacted, putting their bodies on the line to try and block the shot but it slithered through their block. Olorunleke Ojo, the Enyimba goalkeeper jumped on a full-stretch dive but his fingers could only slightly touch the ball as it wriggled past, nestling into the top left corner of the.


    The shook, it was a goal.


    In the 87th minute of the game, Oche got 1 goal back for his team.


    "Goal!" Oche roared, not bothering to celebrate as he rushed into the, picked up the ball and ran back with it to quickly continue the game.


    Sam was still on the ground as this happened, watching, stunned.


    He just cost his team a goal.


    Austin walked over and offered him a hand, smiling slightly. "It''s not your fault," he said. "Next time, don''t take the risk though in a situation like that, pass".


    Sam looked at his captain, he bit his lips a bit before he nodded.


    He stood up. "Thank you".


    "Just y better".


    FWEEEE!


    The game restarted as once again, the Nasarawa United yers won back possession before flooding into the Enyimba FC half.


    The ending minutes of this game was incredibly nervy as the Nasarawa United yers, smelling the equalizing goal yed in front of their home fans with incredible intensity like they were on a battlefield.


    Enyimba FC weathered the offensive with incredible resilience and this time around, a certain attacking midfielder was no longer impatient.


    Sam no longer needed Austin to instruct him, that first mistake was all the lesson he needed to refocus.


    Mounting like a rock in his team''s half, but a mobile one, Sam made full use of his stamina during the final minutes of this game as he ran everywhere, jumping into tackles and intercepting passes, briefly being the best yer of his team entirely due to his work rate.


    Like this, Enyimba FC was able to weather the storm for 90 minutes.


    By now, Sam was no longer even thinking of his system mission, all that dominated his mind was weathering the storm for his team to hold on to all 3 points by the end of the game.


    The referee added 4 additional minutes to the game.


    In those final minutes, Nasarawa United mounted the pressure on their opponents but Enyimba FC stood up valiantly to the challenge still.


    And in the 93rd minute, merely seconds away from the final whistle, Sam''s work rate enabled him to win the ball again just in front of his box.


    This time, he didn''t kick it away and this time, it was not because of arrogance nor impatience toplete a system goal.


    Sam already forgot about the system mission.


    The reason why he held on to possession was because of spatial awareness.


    Spatial awareness in football is the ability of a footballer to be aware of his surroundings, where his teammates were and where his opponents also were.


    Sam never really had this football skill before but the only time that he made use of the system''s skills market, he purchased spatial awareness.


    At this moment, it was this spatial awareness that enabled Sam to know that there were 2 opposition yers behind him, frozen, still not reacting to the fact that he just stole the ball.


    Another opposition yer was charging in from the right, clearly intent on winning the ball by all means. All this information entered his head in an instant.


    But this were not the most important information. The most important information was that Sam was also aware of an ally.


    Immediately after he won possession, Chijioke, the left winger of his team noticed. This winger erupted and started running.


    Whoosh!


    The sliding tackle finally came in.


    Trapping this ball with the heel of his boot, Sam dragged it back smoothly as he effortlessly evaded the tackle with the cold calmness of a hitman, then he hit the ball one time towards the left where Chijioke ran.


    "The newbie just ignited a counterattack!" Thementator roared.


    Chijioke made use of his impressive speed as he bombed down the left hand side of this pitch with incredible speed.


    He was not alone, Sam didn''t leave him alone either as including him, 3 teammates ran after Chijioke.


    Sam, Austin, and Emekapleted the 4-man counter-attacking cohort.


    Chijioke didn''t take the risk to dribble, he yed a slightly over hit cross into the box and Sam jumped, utilizing his tall frame to deftly bring the ball down with his chest on the right side of the 18-yard box.


    On the right side of the 18-yard box, Sam had the option to shoot and pass, the opposition defenders were still scrambling to fully recover.


    He didn''t elicit to shoot though, it was the unlikelier chance to score from this position, instead he looked into the box.


    Emeka held off the only defender who already recovered fully with his physicality, calling for the pass. He was the best pass option but at this moment, Sam didn''t pass towards him because he was biased.


    Instead of passing to Emeka who was slightly to the left side of the 6-yard box, heid the ball to the center instead where Austin was running in with an opposing yer tightly marking him.


    Austin was able to outmuscle his opponent though and as the Nasarawa United goalkeeper charged towards him, he poked the ball in-between his legs into the embrace of the.


    "Goal!" Austin celebrated, pumping a fist into the air then he pointed at the neer of his team as he ran at Sam before hugging and lifting him up in celebration.


    In thest minute of the game, Enyimba FC scored again, making the score line 1-3, breaking multiple Nasarawa hearts.


    The game ended shortly after with Austin dapo easily scooping the man of the match award after a game-winning performance with a goal and 2 incredible assists to his name.

 Chapter 28: Post-match press conference

    "Austin, you''re the captain of Enyimba FC. What are your thoughts about your team''s performance today?"


    The tall 8.2-meter-tall center midfielder faced the female reporter with a smile on his face. "We yed a good game, yes, we yed well".


    "As you likely saw, we dominated the first half, scoring 2 beautiful goals. In the second half, we were not so dominant, especially towards the end of the game after we conceded the goal".


    "In thosest moments, it was really nervy, it was a close game but that''s football for you," this tall captain smiled. "What matters is that we scored the 3rd goal and won the game, iming all 3 points".


    "This season, we are very ambitious, we want to win everything".


    The beautiful female reporter smiled on hearing his confidence. "Austin, you were able to scoop up the man of the match award today after an incredible performance where you managed to get a goal and 2 assists, what do you think about your performance?"


    Hearing this question, amid his rapid breaths still from the exertion of the game, this sweaty captain smiled sheepishly. "Of course, I''m proud". He chuckled.


    But then, his face turned serious again. "I''m the captain of Enyimba FC. I''m always ready to give my all and help the team, no matter which role I''m required to y by the coach".


    "If the coach says I should score, I will try my best to score. Of course, I''ll always try to assist and even if he tells me to defend, I will defend with my life".


    "We scored 3 goals but it''s clear that our forward line is not yet firing on all cylinders. It''s normal, this is just the first game of the season, we have time to build up our chemistry and fitness".


    "Hopefully, in subsequent games, we are able to regain our fluidity in attack". He smiled.


    "Talking about fluidity," this female reporter smiled. "What do you think of the rookie''s performance today? He assisted your goal".


    "Oh, Sam?" This captain grinned. "The boy is definitely destined for great things, getting an assist in your debut game for a storied club like Enyimba FC is not easy, even more so when the yer you''re recing is Olisema".


    "The pressure on him was massive but he showed up".


    "But he caused the only goal against your team though, what do you think of that?"


    Austin scratched the back of his head. "That''s normal, it''s normal to make mistakes in football. Even I am no God, I do make mistakes a lot on the pitch too".


    "He''s young, he has a lot of time to grow and what excites me most is that he already showed the willingness to listen". He grinned. "I told him to pass the ball and he did pass, that was how I got my first goal of the season".


    "I guess I must say," he looked at the camera. "Thanks Sam, for the assist".


    The beautiful female reporter chuckled. "Thanks for having me, captain fantastic, do have a great day".


    "Thank you".


    And with that, Austin dapo, the captain of Enyimba FC finally left on his way to meet his teammates who were getting ready to leave.


    Once he arrived at the dressing room, Coach Yemi Daniel rounded up his yers before leaving.


    On their way from the stadium, Austin noticed the boy walk towards him. He patted Sam by the head. "What a pass, boy, thank you".


    Sam grinned, it felt nice to be validated by his captain.


    They returned straight to the hotel where they would spend the night. They would only enter the road to return to Abia State tomorrow morning.


    To reduce expenses, the yers were asked to stay in pairs, 2 to a hotel room. Sam had another roommate previously, one of the bench yers of the team but after the game today, Austin made a special request to have him as his roommate.


    And with that, he got to stay in the same room as the captain of his team.


    In the room, after taking their bath in turns, Austin dapo fetched his phone, called the boy over before doing something that surprised Sam. Austin opened a rey of the just concluded game on his phone.


    Noting his surprise, Austin grinned. "It''s a habit of mine, I love to watch games immediately after we y them when the memory is still so fresh".


    "That way, I can spot the mistakes I made and what I did best quickly so I can avoid making the same mistakes in next matches".


    "It helps me improve," this captain looked at the new midfielder. "It''s my first time on the pitch with you, Sam, but with you, I feel something special".


    "I believe you''re cut out for great things, so I want to impact this on you".


    "Oh, thanks". Sam grinned. "I appreciate it".


    And with that, rxed on the bed, the 2 yers of Enyimba FC watched the full 90 minutes of the game that they just yed again.


    When they were finally done, smiling on all ears, Sam did not expect what followed.


    "What was your most ring mistake?"


    He paused. "Uh?"


    Austin looked at him, an even look on his face. "You just watched the game with me, right? Didn''t you observe your gamey? What was your most ring mistake in the game?"


    Sam gulped. ''Why does this feel like I''m back in the walls of school?''


    He chuckled awkwardly. "When I lost the ball close to our 18-yard box and they scored a goal from it?"


    "No," Austin shook his head. "Your biggest mistake was your indecisiveness. You see the second time in the same situation? What you did?"


    Sam nodded.


    Austin continued. "The second time, you were not indecisive, you didn''t think first, you acted based on what you observed and your instincts and it ended up leading to a goal".


    "That first time, I don''t know what you were thinking about but you were indecisive. By the time you finally decided to move the ball, you already gave the opponents enough time to close you down and steal the ball".


    "A football game is like war and we are the soldiers. If you hesitate to take the shot, your opponent will shoot and kill you".


    "In war, you don''t hesitate, you kill".


    "Never hesitate in a game. If you feel you can do it, do it, don''t think and if you feel you can''t, pass the ball".


    "Pass the ball, Sam, that''s why you have teammates".


    By now, the look in Sam''s face was so coy like a boy receiving a dressing down from his mom, he nodded timidly. "Yes, captain".


    Austin suddenlyughed. "No need to be so serious, I just wanted you to remember it and improve".


    "Anyways, I heard this is your first professional game but damn, you already have a good grasp of spatial awareness. That''s impressive, honestly".


    The conversation continued some more before food arrived from the hotel, drawing the talk to a halt immediately as the 2 football yers dove in.


    After eating, exhausted, Austin slept.


    Sam didn''t sleep immediately though. The adrenaline and excitement of the game still coursed through him, keeping him awake.


    But most importantly, he had unread system notifications to look at.


    Rubbing his palms together excitedly, he opened them.

 Chapter 29: System notifications

    ~----~


    [You havepleted system mission: It is your debut game; make your mark, make it memorable!]


    [You managed to give an assist during your debut professional game for Enyimba FC, your first professional football club!]


    [Mission penalty has been voided!]


    [Congrattions! You have awakened real-time game experience umtion!]


    [NOTE: Real-time game experience umtion is the ability of host to develop real-time during professional football games and training without the system while being recorded by the system, including improving your skill masteries on the pitch and even leveling up your attributes!]


    [NOTE: The progress of real-time game experience umtion on host is based on a few factors!]


    [NOTE: You have finally unlocked skill and skill mastery tab!]


    ¡­


    [Owned Football Skills:]


    (La Croqueta)


    (Skill Mastery Level: Basic)


    (Skill progress to intermediate level: 31/100]


    ~


    (Body Feint)


    (Skill Mastery Level: Basic)


    (Skill progress to intermediate level: 12/100)


    ¡­


    (Cruyff Turn)


    (Skill Mastery Level: Basic)


    (Skill progress to intermediate level: 89/100)


    ¡­


    (Power Shot)


    (Skill Mastery Level: Basic)


    (Skill progress to intermediate level: 2/100)


    ¡­


    [You havepleted matchday system mission: Win the game!]


    [You yed only a few minutes of this football game as a substitute!]


    [Calcting reward¡­, please wait¡­]


    [Calctionplete!]


    [You have been rewarded with 1 Skill Point!]


    [Avable Skill Points: 2]


    ~----~


    Seeing these system notifications, the first emotion that Sam felt was ecstasy. ''Damn! Finally!'' He eximed in his mind, the fact that he was not alone in this room was the only reason why he didn''t erupt yet.


    For a long time, he had wondered about the reason why he couldn''t see the football skills that he already mastered.


    Despite the fact that he was still not a professional football yer, Sam was confident in his football skills, even from when he was just 14 years old.


    As an attacking midfielder, he may not be up there with the best yers in the world yet but against his peers, Sam was confident in his skills.


    This was why he was baffled by the reason why his system didn''t disy his football skills before now. At some point, he thought it had a separate perk for that and he needed to level up the system to unlock it.


    But now, he knew the reason why.


    Apparently, he had toplete his first professional football game to unlock it. At this moment, he truly realized how much of a milestone his first game against Nasarawa United truly was.


    Another reason for his ecstasy was because personally, he already confirmed that the system was right.


    Among the myriad of football skills that he tried his hands out with during his little purple reign of football love after the 2011 Champions league final, these 4 skills indicated by the Ultimate Football System were truly his strongest traits.


    On his day, on a football pitch, Sam could see himself easily executing the Cruyff turn and croqueta skills against other yers of his caliber.


    He also had a great shot, evident from his first and only training game with Coach James in preparation for the Christmas Game.


    He may not be as proficient with his body feint skills, but he was d his system acknowledged it nheless.


    Despite this, Sam was pretty sure that there were other skills that he had some knowledge of, no matter how small.


    He understood why the system didn''t disy them though. ''My mastery level with these skills is not yet up to the basic mastery level''.


    For a few seconds, he reflected, simply appreciating how much this revtion from his system could affect his football career. ''Damn! The system is the OG!''


    ''With it, I can literally track my growth with practicing football skills!'' Sam was giddy with joy.


    Another factor that left him excited was the simple fact that he finally learned how to earn more skill points consistently.


    To earn skill points, he simply needed to y games. ''The more games I y and the more ying time that I get, the better''. He thought, excited at the possibility of earning more skill points.


    After all, to make use of the skills market, he needed skill points since it was the only currency epted by the system so far.


    At this moment, his system beeped with a notification.


    ~----~


    [WARNING! You are past a professional football yer''s bed time!]


    [System penalty: No penalty]


    [System Remark: To get to the top of the football world, you need to have a disciplined schedule to avoid career-ending injuries and to always be in top shape to perform at the top of your game consistently.]


    [System Hint: Go to sleep]


    ~---~


    Sam was stunned. ''This is new''. He almostughed.


    Yawning, he finally paid attention to the time. He could not afford to stay awake any longer, it was already past 12.


    ''Damn, I miss the times when I could sleep anytime I wanted''.


    ''But like the system said, if I want to achieve my dreams and rise to the top of the football world, I need to be disciplined''.


    With a big smile on his face, Sam finally dismissed his system interface.


    He thought. ''I''m living the dream''.


    And then, he finally beat the excitement of experiencing his very first professional football game, falling asleep.


    ¡­


    Sam sleptte but the next morning, he managed to keep to his early waking schedule, waking earlier than his captain.


    Sneaking out of the room, he went on a job.


    Unlike the others, he had a system daily quest toplete.


    About an hourter, he finally got the notification that he was looking for.


    ~----~


    [You havepleted Daily Quest: Get back in shape!]


    [You have been rewarded with a low-grade physical conditioning elixir!]


    ~----~


    With a slight smile on his face, Sam jogged back to the hotel room drenched in sweat. He found his captain standing idly outside the hotel. "Where are youing from?"


    Sam grinned. "I went on a jog".


    Hearing that, Austin dapo grinned. "Good," he nodded. "Do you want to go on anotherp?"


    "Why not? You want to jog with me?"


    "Yeah, I like this dedication of yours, keep it up". Austin smiled. "You''re the first teammate that''s willing to go on a jog in away ground since I started ying football".


    Hearing that, Sam smiled cheekily. "Ok," he agreed readily, eager to build a closer rtionship with his captain.


    They jogged for another 30 minutes before finally calling it a day. Taking turns, both yers entered the bathroom to take a bath and freshen up once they were back in their room.


    They soon got an SMS message from Coach Yemi Daniel indicating that the bus would depart in 45 minutes.


    Sam and Austin met up with the schedule and alongside their teammates, they finally embarked on their journey back home after their first football league game of the season.


    Later in the day, after all the games were yed, Coach Yemi Daniel sent the results of all the matchday 1 fixtures to his yers, Sam included.


    Coach Yemi Daniel also sent the fixtures for matchday 2 to his yers.


    With his phone, Sam essed the results.

 Chapter 30: Family time

    (Matchday 1:)


    >Akwa United 0-2 Bendel Insurance<


    >Date: 08 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Nasarawa United 1-3 Enyimba<


    >Date: 14 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Enugu Rangers 0-2 Abia Warriors<


    >Date: 15 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >teau United 3-3 Shooting Stars<


    >Date: 15 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Kwara United 0-0 Gombe United<


    >Date: 15 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Remo Stars 2-0 El Kanemi Warriors FC<


    >Date: 15 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Bayelsa United 1-1 Dakkada<


    >Date: 15 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Wikki Tourist 0-2 Niger Tornadoes<


    >Date: 15 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Doma United 1-1 Sunshine Stars<


    >Date: 15 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Rivers United 2-1 Lobi Stars<


    >Date: 15 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    (Matchday 2:)


    >Abia Warriors ¨C Bayelsa United<


    >Date: 18 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Lobi Stars ¨C Enugu Rangers<


    >Date: 18 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Dakkada ¨C Wikki Tourist<


    >Date: 18 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Enyimba ¨C Akwa United<


    >Date: 18 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Sunshine Stars ¨C Rivers United<


    >Date: 19 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Niger Tornadoes ¨C Doma United<


    >Date: 19 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >El Kanemi Warriors FC ¨C Nasarawa United<


    >Date: 19 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Gombe United ¨C Remo Stars<


    >Date: 19 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Shooting Stars ¨C Kwara United<


    >Date: 19 Jan, 2023<


    Due to the weird schedule of the Nigerian Professional Football league this season, Enyimba FC did not have any cup games to y till June which meant that they had up to 4 days of rest between most league games.


    After yesterday''s game, they had just 3 more days to prepare for their next game against Akwa United. Coach Yemi Daniel sending his yers the matchday fixtures was already part of his early preparations for the game.


    Thankfully, this game was at home which meant that Sam would have to struggle with the hassle of the road again.


    After returning back to Abia State from Nasarawa, Coach Yemi Daniel addressed his yers, telling them to rest properly to recover their fitness for tomorrow. Tomorrow morning, training wouldmence again.


    And with that, Sam could finally return to his apartment in the guest quarters that was provided by his club.


    Of course, that was after exchanging contact details with a few of his teammates.


    After his performance yesterday, and with the interest that the captain took on him, more of his teammates took the initiative to build a closer rtionship with him.


    This was how he suddenly had the contact of more than 10 yers in the squad of Enyimba FC.


    Returning to his apartment, Sam did some light exercise to let his muscles rx. After every game, mostly in the top 5 big European leagues, professionals go through post-match recovery processes.


    This was tobat fatigue so they could start fresh for their next game.


    After going through these light exercises that were rmended by the coach, Sam went to the bathroom, took a swift bath beforeying down on his bed.


    He thought back on the experience of yesterday, his first professional football game and then with a big smile on his face, he picked up his android phone.


    It was time to make a video call.


    It took a lot for Mrs. Moses to allow her 17-year-old son to leave home to pursue his dream and career as a professional football yer. Even with the money involved, she was still not entirely safe letting him go till she set a few ground rules.


    To let Sam have his wish to pursue his dream, she put certain ground rules in ce. One of these ground rules was Sam endeavoring to put a video call across after every football game.


    Sam was unable to put the call across yesterday due to the heightened emotions of his first game, and due to staying in the same room with his captain but today, he was finally ready to put in the call.


    He dialed through his WhatsApp.


    {Outgoing video call to Best Mom¡­}


    ¡­


    Somewhere in Delta State, Abraka, in a humble 3-bedroom apartment, a family of 3 gathered in the sitting room excitedly as they all faced an iPhone 12 pro max that was ced on a phone stand facing them.


    "Sam is calling!" Sophia cheered excitedly.


    "Shut up!" Her mom snapped. "When your brother was here, you were never so excited by his presence, shut up and let us answer the call".


    Sophia red at her mom and pouted, she stayed silent.


    "Good". Nodding, Mrs. Moses gave the signal and her husband finally picked up the video call. There was a brief glitch before Sam appeared on the screen.


    "Sam!" Sophia screeched excitedly on seeing her brother, spooking him out. "I watched you yesterday, you managed to give an assist! You''re so awesome!"


    On the other side of the screen, Paul paused, shocked. ''When did Sophia begin watching football? Did they watch the game because of me?''


    Mr. Moses grinned. "Sam, my boy, you''re making your dad proud. When you ghosted that sliding yer with the gentle heel touch and drag, you made daddy proud, I can''t stop bragging to my friends about it!" Heughed loudly.


    "Getting a goal contribution on your first professional game is impressive son, keep it up, I can''t wait to see you force your way into the starting 11".


    "I can''t wait too dad," Sam finally spoke, also excited. "How are you guys doing since I left?"


    Mrs. Moses interrupted at this moment. "I hope after that goal distribution, or what did your dad call it?" She waved a hand dismissively. "Anyways, what I mean is that after that goal something, they gave you a bonus right?"


    Sam smiled awkwardly. "They didn''t mom, it''s just my first game".


    "What?" Her voice rose up a notch. "The nerve of those employers, I''m going to put a call to your coach right now".


    "Woah! Mom, calm down". Sam was sweating bullets. "Please don''t, reserve that for when I finally score my first hat trick".


    "Oh, yeah, your first hat trick," she nodded in understanding. "So, what is a hat trick?"


    "¡­!"


    Sam and his dad paused, looking at each other for a few seconds then they both burst intoughter.


    Mrs. Moses scowled. "Are the both of you mocking me?"


    "No, no, mock you?" Mr. Moses coughed. "How dare I mock you? I can never mock you".


    His wife red at him before punching him slightly by the shoulder. "I think you should start teaching me about football now. Honestly, watching my son on the TV just felt so nice".


    Hearing that, Mr. Moses grinned. "With pleasure, mydy".


    Sophia ignored her parents who were already getting all touchy and paid attention to her brother. "Sam, tell me about Nasarawa, how is it?"


    "Also, that captain of yours, he''s so cool, tell me about him".


    Sam stared at his sister suspiciously. "But that''s your first time seeing him, right?"


    "Yeah, but who cares?" She stared dreamily. "He''s so strong, fast, handsome, and dominant on the pitch, he''s my¡­"


    "Hey, hey¡­, stop!" Sam palmed his face. "I''ll get an autograph for you if that''s what you want, but all this talk about that rubbish, I don''t want to hear about it".


    The call continued for over 40 minutes as the family of 4 discussed various topics, from important ones to meaningless ones and downright ridiculous ones.


    In the end, Sam had a great family time. He felt refreshed already.


    And after over 40 minutes of the video call, he finally bid his parents farewell, retreating to sleep finally.


    Tomorrow was going to be a big day for him.


    It was another day to try his hand at forcing himself into the starting XI of Enyimba FC.


    Sam was determined to wow Coach Yemi Daniel.

 Chapter 31: Bonus reward; energy elixir

    The next morning, Sam woke up with a good feeling.


    It was still early in the morning and he was yet to wash his face but he was extremely motivated to start with his day activities already.


    And without hesitation, he went to his bathroom to watch his face and brush his teeth before putting on his workout clothes and jogging out of his apartment in the guest quarters.


    He was determined to start his day in the best way possible. Like they say, if you want to have a productive day, start early.


    This was exactly what Sam did and just a few minutes in, he lost himself in the groove of working out and the feeling of his muscles stretching and lightening up. He was slowly getting addicted to it.


    About an hourter¡­


    ~----~


    [You havepleted System Daily Quest: Get back in shape!]


    [You have been rewarded with a low-grade physical conditioning elixir!]


    ¡­


    [You have marked a system milestone ofpleting the daily system quest for more than 3 straight weeks!]


    [You are eligible for a system reward!]


    [Congrattions! You have unlocked bonus reward: Energy elixir!]


    >Energy Elixir: When ingested, this elixir is capable of dousing you with overcharged natural energy to take you through the day, improving your performance levels on the pitch to truly ridiculous levels<


    [WARNING: 12 hours after ingesting an energy elixir, you''ll be extremely tired. The aftereffects of ingesting an energy elixir can be overwritten by ingesting a mid-grade vitality elixir!]


    ~----~


    Staring at the notifications that were disyed on his system interface, Sam''s jaws dropped in shock. "Damn! The system has something like this too?"


    "F*ck! Is this not regarded as doping?"


    But then his eyes widened. "I''ve already seen what the system is capable of. If it says I can ingest it, it means that it''s not regarded as doping and even if it is, it''s guaranteeing me that the officials won''t be able to detect it".


    "Besides, it says its natural energy".


    That was all Sam needed to know.


    At this moment, he just wanted toy down on the street where he jogged andugh loudly like a viin in a movie but he maintained hisposure.


    He didn''t want to be seen like a mad man by the residents of this street.


    Still, he was giddy with excitement.


    ''This is so damn awesome!'' He screamed in his mind. ''And it came at just the perfect time when I want to impress the coach''.


    With these thoughts, even more motivated than he was before, he finally started jogging back to his apartment in the guest quarters.


    On his way back, while jogging, a thought crossed his head. ''If the physical conditioning elixir is supposed to wipe off all effects of fatigue and exhaustion from my body, and the energy elixir is supposed to give me supercharged natural energy to go through the day, does this not make them simr?''


    Immediately after he had the thought, a light bulb of inspiration seemed to explode in his head. ''Damn! I can interchange the uses of both elixirs!''


    ''If I ingest the energy elixir, it means that I can keep the low-grade physical conditioning elixir!''


    Immediately after he had this thought in his head, his system lit up with a new notification, briefly dousing his excitement.


    ~----~


    [Every elixir created by the system can only exist in reality for 2 minutes without being ingested. If not ingested before 2 minutes pse, the elixir expires.]


    [WARNING! You have 20 seconds left to ingest low-grade physical conditioning elixir!]


    [WARNING! You have 22 seconds left to ingest energy elixir!]


    ¡­


    [Considering special circumstances of host, the level 3 system perk, System Inventory has been temporarily unlocked to store one of the 2 elixirs.]


    [System Inventory temporarily unlocked!]


    [You have less than 20 seconds to make your choice and store 1 of the 2 elixirs avable for use, or you can choose to ingest both elixirs!]


    ~----~


    Reading the first part of this system notification, Sam''s excitement was doused down but after he read thetter parts of the system notification, his excitement levels rose again.


    ''It''s salvageable''. He thought.


    Besides, this help from his system was able to let him know ahead of time the system perk that would be avable to him after leveling up the Ultimate Football System to level 3 in the future.


    Since he had only 20 seconds to make his decision on which elixir to ingest, he was in a race against time.


    At first, instinctively, Sam wanted to ingest the low-grade physical conditioning elixir but when he remembered the effects of the energy elixir and remembering his primary goal for today which was to impress his coach in training, he changed his mind at thest moment.


    Sam grinned. ''The energy elixir came at just the right time''.


    ''With it, I''ll definitely exceed expectations in today''s training session''.


    That was all he needed to make his decision.


    ~----~


    [You have ingested energy elixir!]


    [NOTE: The effects of the energy elixir willst for approximately 12 hours.]


    [Low-grade physical conditioning elixir has been stored temporarily in System Inventory]


    [System Inventory Slots: 8]


    [Slot 1: Low-grade physical conditioning elixir]


    ¡­


    [NOTE: A new slot can be bought in the system inventory in exchange for 5 Skill Points.]


    ~----~


    Sam learned a few new things. First, the fact that when he finally unlocked the system inventory, he would get 8 slots to store things and carry them anywhere he wanted so long he had ess to the system.


    He also learned that he could upgrade the number of slots in the system inventory to increase their number, he grinned. ''Awesome!''


    Right at that moment, Sam was not feeling it prominently yet but inside him, he could tell that an ocean of energy dwelled somewhere inside.


    He was bubbling with endless stamina and energy.


    His grin widened. ''Let''s break boundaries!''


    With that, he jogged back to his apartment, took a cool bath, ate a nice morning meal and 15 minutes to 8:00am, he finally left his apartment again for training.


    Training as dictated by Coach Yemi Daniel started 8:00am sharp.


    Thest thing Sam wanted was to go to trainingte and enter the bad books of his coach, this was why he left his apartment immediately.


    Less than 10 minutester, he arrived at the Enyimba International Stadium which was also Enyimba FC''s home training ground.


    He arrived on time.

 Chapter 32: An unreal training experience

    Like usual, after his yers changed into their training jersey and bibs, Coach Yemi Daniel led them to the pitch where theymenced training.


    He took them through jogging, agility drills, passing drills, and even shooting drills mostly for the strikers and midfielders of his team.


    As for the defenders, he also supervised their positioning so that all defenders in his team would stay in the same parallel line at all times in the game to maintain a perfect defensive shape and keep their offside trap intact.


    After an hour and 30 minutes of going through these basic training drills, they finally retreated to a shade where their coach addressed them.


    There was a whiteboard in this shade and after taking a marker, Coach Yemi Daniel wrote something on the whiteboard.


    (Matchday 2:)


    >Enyimba ¨C Akwa United<


    >Date: 18 Jan, 2023<


    Coach Yemi Daniel looked at his yers. "Our next game is a home game, which means that we''ll be weing them to our territory".


    "We''ll be ying them here, in our turf". He pointed at the green field for emphasis. He looked at the empty stands. "Our fans will be here to support us, and it''s our first home game of the season, so we better give them a spectacle".


    "We need to y our best football to encourage them toe watch our next game".


    "I already have a basic idea of the yers that I want to start, but," this coach''s eyes turned stern. "For the next 2 days, your performance in training will determine if you will start from the get go".


    "I don''t work on favorability or past glory, but current form so out there today, you better give me your best football".


    "Ok," he pped, rousing his yers. "Stand up, you''ve rested enough. We''ll be ying a training game between team A and team B".


    "The slots have already been drawn, pick to know your team".


    While their coach addressed them, sitting down, these yers already drank water to wet their parched throats, also taking the opportunity to rest.


    By his urging though, they stood up to pick their slots.


    For today''s training game, Sam''s fate put him in team A. Unfortunately though, today, he was going to y against his captain, Austin on team B.


    This didn''t matter to Sam though, all he wanted and cared about was his performance today. He wanted to put on a clinical show for his coach.


    FWEEEE!


    Coach Yemi Daniel blew the whistle tomence the training game and immediately, the game was started by team B.


    For the first few minutes of this game, the more powerful team B dominated possession, asserting their authority over the game but this didn''tst too long.


    8 minutes in, Sam''s influence started showing in team A as with his incredible stamina which seemed slightly off the roof today, he ran everywhere, intercepting passes and blocking shots.


    Team A managed to weather the relentless attacks of their opponents for 15 minutes, but at the 16th minute, they finally stung like a viper.


    Again, it was Austin as after outmuscling 2 midfielders of team A in the midfield, maintaining possession due to his incredible physicality, even as Sam rushed in, this center midfielder looked slightly before ying a lobbed pass.


    It was an incredible pass as it rose above the lineup of team A defenders. The defenders pursued, but Emeka, team B''s striker was faster.


    Like a hurricane, this center forward rushed, overtaking the defenders in no time before taking 2 touches.


    The first touch to control the ball, and the second to poke it past the side of the onrushing team A goalkeeper.


    In the 16th minute of the training game, team B got the first goal but team A was not to stay lying down though.


    Just 2 minutester, in the 18th minute, they responded.


    Farouk Mohammed managed to win the ball back shortly after losing it to Olisema in team B, then after a swift nce through the pitch, he passed to his nearest teammate, Sam.


    With his spatial awareness, Sam immediately scanned his surroundings, noting that his opponents gave him a lot of space.


    Instantly, he pushed the ball forward before running after it.


    A team B midfielder rushed in, trying to clear the ball but having timed it perfectly, Sam arrived before him.


    He didn''t dribble, he pushed the ball for only one reason, to utilize his power shot skill and shoot from midfield.


    BAM!


    His leg hit the ball with ramming force, sending it on a flying trajectory through the sky as it curved slightly before nestling into the top right corner.


    The goalkeeper dived but he stood no chance.


    "Yes!" Sam pumped his fists excitedly.


    The game restarted as with Sam ying in an entirely different level, he managed to help his team keep possession as they won back control over the game.


    For a few minutes, team A dominated but against the run of y, Emeka, team B''s center forward managed to do it again, wriggling through a few defenders while holding them off with his physicality before mming a point-nk shot into the roof of the.


    1-2 to team B in the 30th minute of the game.


    11 minutester, Sam did the incredible again, being the only one to react in the box as Farouk yed a ball across goal.


    He was the only one in the right ce at the right time to poke the free ball into the, making the score line 2-2 in the 41st minute.


    In the 45th minute, Olisema managed to get his name on the scoresheet, sneaking a low ball into the past team A''s goalkeeper.


    Team B led by half-time.


    When the game restarted, led by Sam, again, team A led a relentless offensive against the opposition but unlike the first half, team B yed even more defensive football now, shutting off most openings in their backline.


    Team B put on a disciplined defensive performance for 45 minutes, maintaining the score line 2-3 in their favor until a moment of magic from Sam again in the dying minutes of this training game.


    In the 90th plus 3 minutes, Sam pulled off an unreal trick from his magic box, dribbling through 3 team B defenders before still having the energy to round the goalkeeper and push the ball into an empty.


    "YES!" Sam screamed at the top of his lungs.


    Sam managed to score a hat trick in this training game, stunning the full Enyimba team as the training game ended 3-3.


    After the game, as the yers rested, Coach Yemi Daniel finally dropped his starting lineup for their next game.


    Goalkeeper: Olorunleke Ojo


    Center Back: Timothy Dadi


    Center Back: Adekunle Adeleke


    Right Back: Sadiq Abubakar


    Left Back: Ezekiel Bassey


    Central Midfielder: Austin dapo


    Attacking Midfielder: Cyril Olisema


    Defensive Midfielder: Farouk Mohammed


    Center Forward: Emeka Obioma


    Left Winger: Chijioke Mbaoma


    Right Winger: Victor Mbaoma


    Staring at the starting line-up of his coach, Sam had only a single thought in his mind. ''F*ck!'' He cursed.

 Chapter 33: First home game; Enyimba FC vs Akwa United

    Not getting selected in Coach Yemi Daniel''s starting lineup at first left Sam semi-depressed. He was sure that he did enough to enter the starting lineup already, but thankfully, he managed to pull himself off it with some help.


    Returning home after scoring the hat trick, Sam distracted himself by watching a movie and when it was evening, he called his mom.


    "What?!"


    "You scored a hatching and that crook of a coach still didn''t decide to put you in his starting 11?!"


    "Mom, calm down". Sam hissed. "You''ll wake dad up".


    Well, his dad was already awake. "What happened?"


    In the end, Sam had no choice but to tell his father everything.


    Once he was done speaking, Mr. Moses chuckled.


    "What''s so funny?" Of course, his wife snapped.


    He chuckled still. "Sam".


    "Yes, dad".


    "Do you remember when Lionel Messi was 17 like you?"


    "Umm, yeah, he''s my idol so of course I know".


    "Good, then you should also know that even a yer of Lionel Messi''s stature didn''t start his career starting every game outright as a starting 11 yer".


    "Lionel Messi worked his way into the starting 11 of that glorious FC Barcelona team through hard work, and most importantly, his performances on the pitch. Son, strive to do the same".


    "Don''t concern yourself with your coach''s decisions, he knows more than you do. A season of football is not yed like a sprint, rather, it''s a marathon".


    "Be patient son, your time to shine wille".


    "Just stay diligent, humble, and try your best to take every chance that you get to y with aplomb".


    "Do you listen to rap?"


    "Huh?"


    Mr. Moses stared at his son. "Go listen to Eminem, Lose Yourself. Use it to distract yourself from this thing you''re feeling, and wait for your moment".


    Surprisingly, that was all Sam needed to shake himself off the disappointment. That night, unlike he feared, he slept feeling fulfilled, knowing that there was always another day for him to prove himself again.


    In the next day''s training game, somehow, without another energy elixir, Sam managed to beat yesterday''s training game performance as he put in a clinical disy, singlehandedly winning his team the game by chipping in with 2 goals and 2 assists, trashing team B 4-2 this time.


    Of course, his performance was buoyed by Austin dapo''s reassuring presence in team A this time.


    Still, his performances in thest 2 days was impactful, evident from the difference in how his teammates now looked at him.


    Most of them, especially the midfielders now saw him as a threat.


    They could tell that this 17-year-old midfielder had what it took to take their position in the starting XI without much fuss, they were flustered.


    Luckily on their part, despite Sam''s convincing performances in the past 2 training games, Coach Yemi Daniel stuck with his preferred starting 11 lineup.


    Sam was not discouraged though. ''My moment wille''. He thought.


    Like the rolling pages of a book, the days moved fast and in no time, the D-day was here.


    It was 18th Jan, 2023.


    ¡­


    Sam''s first professional home game experience reception¡­, it was vastly different and at the same time just as he expected it to be, a contrasting feeling.


    The first thing that caught his attention was the energy of the fans.


    Thousands of Enyimba FC fans on the stadium sang loudly, cheering their team on even as the game was yet to start.


    The boundless energy from the fans was infectious, dousing Sam with so much energy that he felt like a fan-favorite diator entering his favored coliseum.


    His blood boiled despite the fact that he was not starting.


    He knew that his teammates felt the same way, they were all determined to give their fans what they came to see, a good show.


    Without hesitation, after the yers of both teams lined up on the pitch, the referee blew his whistle tomence the game.


    FWEEEEE!


    From the first whistle, Enyimba FC went on the offensive, bearing down on their opposition half with the overbearing arrogance of an overlord.


    Also, from the first whistle, it was clear that Akwa United came to their opponent''s home to y defensive football as literally all their yers except their sole striker stayed back to defend.


    With 10 yers behind the ball, Akwa United defended with their lives, jumping into tackles and blocking shots relentlessly for 10 minutes.


    Throughout most of the 10 minutes, the fans in the stands kept on chanting excitedly, happy at the football that their team was ying.


    Enyimba FC dominated possession, 81% to 19%, dominating all parameters from shots taken to shots on target, yet, they failed to prate the Akwa United goalie.


    This goalkeeper managed to pull off a few incredible saves when called upon, but the true reason why Enyimba FC was yet to score a goal was because of the staunch performance that was being put out by the Akwa United defense.


    These yers put their body on the line, defending valiantly as they frustrated the Enyimba United attackers.


    After 10 minutes, not able to keep the intensity, Enyimba FC finally lowered their tempo as they took more time on the ball, progressing forward patiently.


    Despite their change of approach, one thing that stayed constant in this game as the time ticked on was the valiant defending put out by Akwa United.


    At some point in the game, more confident as their opponents grew tired, they finally left their shell, going on a few attacking runs towards the opposition half as they threatened through counter-attacking situations.


    For 40 minutes, Enyimba FC failed to score a goal.


    In the 41st minute of the game, Akwa United finally unleashed their first shot on target but Ojo, the Enyimba FC goalkeeper was on hand to make an easy save.


    In the final minutes of the first half, the Enyimba FC yers literally camped in their opponent''s half,unching raids of attack after attack but yet, the staunch Akwa United defense held.


    Despite their statistical domination, Enyimba FC ended up being frustrated as the first half of this game ended 0-0.


    When half-time came, in the dressing room, Coach Yemi Daniel was furious as he berated a few yers due to how they couldn''t capitalize and fully utilize the opportunities that they had in the first half, mostly Olisema and Emeka.


    Watching his coach berate his rival, Sam secretly felt d.


    He didn''t expect much though but to his shock, Coach Yemi Daniel pulled the plug on the game early. "Olisema, you''re being substituted, you won''t start the second half". The coach was truly furious.


    This coach looked round his team with red eyes. "Samuel Moses".


    "Yes, coach". Sam responded.


    "Get ready, you''re entering the game in the second half and you better make this decision worth it".


    "Yes, coach". Sam nodded respectfully. Inside, he was overwhelmed by joy.


    ''My moment, finally!'' He thought.


    When the second half started, Enyimba FC made 2 changes, taking Olisema off for the new boy, Sam while also taking off the normal starting right back of the team, Sadiq Abubakar for the more attacking right back.


    And with that, the second half of this fiery game started.

 Chapter 34: Seize your moment!

    The structure of Enyimba FC did not change.


    They remained in a 4-3-3 formation, the only tactical difference being that Coach Yemi Daniel instructed the newly introduced right back to ovep more through the right side of the pitch.


    As for Sam, his orders?


    Looking at his teenage yer, Coach Yemi Daniel simply nodded at him. "Do what you do in training, don''t disappoint me".


    Those words followed Sam as he entered the pitch, lining up alongside his teammates. In the first half after the coin toss decider earlier, Akwa United were the ones to kick off the game meaning that in this second half, Enyimba FC was to start kickoff.


    Austin dapo, the captain of Enyimba FC and Sam stood in the middle of the pitch, about to start kickoff.


    Despite the fact that more than 50 minutes already passed since this game started, the energetic Enyimba FC fans clearly didn''t lose hope in winning the game yet. They kept on singing and chanting at the top of their lungs.


    Together, though it was not as deafening as those big iconic European stadiums, subjected to this atmosphere for the first time since he started kicking a ball, Sam could not help it, his blood churned.


    He did not let the tension get to him though. At this moment, taking a brief nce at the referee, Sam took a deep breath. ''Calm down,'' he hypnotized himself. ''This time, no mistakes''.


    FWEEEE!


    Immediately after the referee''s whistle sounded, Austin passed the ball to Sam who took one touch of the ball before passing it backward.


    He did not relish making a mistake with his first touch of the ball, this was why he passed the ball back for safety.


    And with that, the game restarted.


    Just like the Enyimba FC yers expected, even as the game restarted, the Akwa United yers did not rush to win possession. Like in the first half, they were content with sitting deep in their half, defending deep.


    And again, the unrelenting onught began.


    Heralded by not just Austin but Sam this time, these 2 midfielders orchestrated y, ying passes left and right as they created a few chances for the next few minutes but none of it was a clear-cut chance.


    Akwa United was incredibly disciplined defensively.


    Yet, at the 60th minute of the game, the biggest chance of the game was created, orchestrated by Sam.


    Taking the ball from his captain, having grown into the game already, Sam drove forward a bit with the ball towards the right where he yed a swift one-two with the right back before throwing an urate cross into the box.


    His target was Emeka, and the center forward did not disappoint, finally beating the tall Akwa United defenders in the aerial battle as he rose highest.


    For a few seconds, silence descended across this stadium as the fans watched with bated breaths.


    Emeka hit the ball with his head powerfully, but it was not urate enough, shing just by the post.


    "F*ck!" This center forward screamed in frustration.


    For the next 2 dozen minutes, Enyimba FC kept on creating chance after chance even as their opponents defended with dogged determination.


    At some point, their coach made a triple change, taking their forward yers off entirely except the main striker as he brought in more defensively minded yers to mount on the misery of their superior opposition.


    It was 80 minutes already, but Sam was yet to score a goal.


    He had been calm since, ying his best football, but now, he started feeling desperate. The fans had long given up patience too as their voices rose louder and louder despite how much it must be putting a strain on them.


    These voices became the urge that pushed Sam on. ''F*ck it! I can''t y it safe anymore, I need to do something''.


    ''I need to switch it up''.


    Receiving the ball again, he drove forward before unleashing a powerful shot that the goalkeeper pushed out for a corner kick.


    Austin yed a good corner kick, yet the tall Akwa United yers prevailed, heading the ball away to safety.


    Their frustration mounted, but the more the tension and frustration increased, the more focused Sam became. ''I need to make an impact!''


    ''I need to seize my moment!''


    ''I can''t let it slip!''


    The more he chanted in his head, the more focused he became. Every touch of the ball, every drizzle, every feint, Sam felt himself delving deep into the essence of football then like a switch, he suddenly felt it.


    The zone state¡­, Sam felt it.


    It was an ethereal feeling. Everything seemed to disappear from his head, the stadium, the fans, even their loud voices, abstracted off by his brain as the only thing on his head became the pitch, his opponents, and his teammates.


    With this level of focus, for a few minutes, Sam yed at a truly elite level on the pitch, passing like a robot till it finally came.


    Finally, his moment came in the 87th minute of the game. After winning back possession in their box, Akwa United was about to start a counterattack as they yed swift passes, intent on getting the ball to their striker.


    As soon as the center midfielder yed the pass, already in the zone state, Sam slid on the ground, something he almost never does before as he intercepted the pass.


    He stopped the ball!


    Immediately, he sprung back to his feet as his spatial awareness enabled him to tell that there were multiple opposition yers surrounding him.


    "Sam, here!"


    Sam didn''t even look as he yed an incredible back heel pass through the 4 yers surrounding him to his captain.


    Bam!


    Immediately after he yed the pass, his legs pushed off the ground, his lungs burning as he ran forward from his closest marker.


    Bam!


    That sound¡­, Austin didn''t hesitate, ying a one-two back to his attacking midfielder as he could tell that the boy was already in a special state.


    In the zone state, Sam literally felt the ball rolling towards him, this was how he also noticed an Akwa United defender sliding to intercept the ball.


    Rushing faster to close the distance to the ball and arriving first, with a delicate touch, Sam flicked the ball above the sliding defender, jumping above him also, then he exploded with speed.


    "Sam!" "Sam!" "Sam!"


    The Enyimba FC fans chanted.


    His crazy performance for the past few minutes already got to the frustrated fans and at this moment, as he ran, they chanted his name loudly.


    Those chants felt like an extra dose of adrenaline to Sam.


    Another yer charged in from the box. Noticing the intent of this yer, Sam moved to the left but as this yer stretched out his leg, he stopped before exploding off in the other direction.


    It was a feint!


    "Sam!" "Sam!" "Sam!"


    The fans kept on chanting at the top of their voices.


    With that feint, Sam finally prated into the 18-yard box; this was when he raised his head up. There was an angle to shoot.


    He raised his leg up only for an Enyimba defender to put his body on the line, sliding to block with his body.


    Sam didn''t hit the ball though; it was a fake shot as he pushed the ball forward more, evading 2 more yers who put their body on the line.


    And finally, he was free to shoot as the Akwa United goalkeeper charged out to meet him. This time, time truly seemed to stop.


    Sam raised his leg to shoot as this goalkeeper made his body as big as possible.


    Bam!


    His leg hit the ball.


    It wasn''t a shot like most people who spectated thought though, rather it was a pass, to thepletely unmarked Emeka.


    He already caused so much havoc in the opposition box that all eyes turned to him, forgetting that Emeka lurked in the box.


    It was a simple tap in for this center forward and he didn''tmit a blunder, calmly poking the ball into an empty.


    The Akwa United yers were rooted to the spot, including some Enyimba FC yers who still couldn''t process what just happened.


    "GOALLLL¡­!" Sam roared, relief, contentment, and excitement all flowing through him in waves as he charged towards Emeka to celebrate.


    Turning round, this center forward let Sam jump on his back as they both celebrated the goal wildly.


    The Enyimba fans celebrated even more wildly in the bench.


    In this tight game where they were frustrated for almost 90 minutes, finally, in the 87th minute, the deadlock was broken, orchestrated by Sam.


    "Sam!" "Sam!" "Sam!"


    They roared.


    The score line was now 1-0.

 Chapter 35: An incredible game; the end

    "Sam!" "Sam!" "Sam!"


    While the Enyimba FC fans chanted at the top of their voices, still celebrating their goal, a few of the Akwa United defendersid down on the pitch.


    That unexpected goal clearly doused their enthusiasm after defending doggedly for 87 minutes of this game.


    That goal made all their efforts useless.


    Their coach was not about to let his yers stay demotivated though as from the touchline, he pped his hands, roaring at the top of his voice. "Come on! The game is not over yet!"


    "There''s still 3 minutes to the game, we can still equalize!"


    "Come on! Let''s go attack!"


    Yes, there were still 3 minutes to this game, plus additional time that the referee would definitely add to this fiery game.


    ''The game is not over yet''. Sam reminded himself after celebrating his goal as forcefully, he managed to focus back on the game.


    FWEEEE!


    Immediately after the referee''s whistle sounded, the game restarted with Akwa United ying and it was clear instantly that this team already changed.


    A goal down already, there was no more use defending since losing this game meant that they already lost all 3 points.


    The only way to reward their efforts throughout the past 87 minutes was by ying attacking football in these final minutes, hopefully scoring a goal to end the game 1-1 to rescue a point from this difficult stadium.


    This was why immediately after the game restarted, multiple Akwa United yers rushed into the Enyimba FC half of the pitch as they passed the ball round, trying to prate the Enyimba defensive shape.


    For 2 minutes, they retained possession but they could not make the most of it, unable to prate the Enyimba FC backline as the defenders held their lines staunchly, putting their bodies on the line.


    The Akwa United attackers didn''t even have the chance to shoot a shot.


    In the 89th minute of this game, Farouk Mohammed won back possession as immediately, he passed it sideways to his captain, Austin dapo who was on the other side of the pitch.


    With a deft touch using the outside of his boot, Austin brought the ball under control and evaded an aggressive challenge from an opposition yer before driving forward some more with the ball.


    After beating another yer, closer to the Akwa United 18-yard box, he looked before ying the ball to the right where Sam lurked.


    Sam did not hesitate, touching the ball once to lower its momentum before pushing it forward into the box for his swift center forward to run into.


    Emeka dug into his reserves, elerating past the opposition defenders as in no time, he was one-on-one with the goalkeeper!


    Most of the fans around the stadium rose up on their feet.


    Hearing the thudding footsteps of the onrushing goalkeeper, this center forward could not hesitate as he hit the ball first time straight at goal.


    The Akwa United goalkeeper pulled off an incredible save though as his sprawling left arm hit the ball, rebounding it back into the box, where Sam lurked.


    The fans groaned in disappointment, most sitting back down.


    Thud!


    As soon as the ballnded on the pitch inside the 18-yard box, being the yer that was closest to the rebounded ball, Sam felt adrenaline surge through his veins as he moved, reacting first.


    2 Akwa United yers reacted immediately after he moved, one tugging at his shirt from behind, while the other charging in from the side to block him.


    With his tall figure, Sam dug in, forcing his way forward as with a wild swing of his right arm, he shoved the yer tugging at him from behind, making him lose bnce as he copsed helplessly on the pitch.


    By now, the yer rushing in from the side was now very close but just as he stuck his leg out to intercept the ball, Sam pushed it slightly with his left leg through the legs of this yer as he executed an unreal nut-meg.


    The fans in the stands jumped up to their feet again, anticipating.


    By nutmegging that yer to the right, Sam just created a shooting space for himself and he did not think twice, hitting the ball with his right leg with force.


    BAM!


    He sted the ball with force towards the bottom left corner of the post as it rolled on the pitch between 2 yers.


    The Akwa United goalkeeper jumped on a full-stretch dive but he could only watch as the ball rushed past his arms into the weing embrace of the.


    "GOALLLL¡­!" Sam roared at the top of his lungs, charging towards the corner g while pumping his fists excitedly in sheer euphoria.


    On getting to the corner g, he slid as he pointed 2 fingers to the sky in gratitude. Behind him, his teammates approached, all jubting.


    "F*cking yes!" They screamed, jubting.


    In the 89th minute of the game, just 2 minutes afterying on the assist for the first goal of the game, Sam scored his first professional goal, making the score line 2-0 in favor of his team.


    This time, truly defeated, almost all the Akwa United yersid down on the pitch as they looked at the sky, devastated.


    Today''s outing was a lost battle.


    "Sam!" "Sam!" "Sam!"


    The fans kept on cheering at the top of their lungs.


    A few minutester, the referee''s whistle went off again as he restarted y before adding 4 additional minutes to the game shortly after.


    By then, the Akwa United yers already gave up, only ying basic football as Enyimba FC caused the most threat for the final few minutes.


    Emeka came close to adding a second goal to his name as Austin also hit the post with an outside the box shot, but in the end, after 4 minutes of additional time, this incredibly tense game finally came to an end.


    Despite a dogged defensive performance from Akwa United, Enyimba FC managed to snatch the win due to their new signing''s incredible disy.


    Of course, Sam won the man of the match award, his first in a professional football setting.


    Sam felt on top of the world.

 Chapter 36: On top of the world

    ~----~


    [You havepleted matchday system mission: Win the game!]


    [You yed 45 minutes of this football game as a substitute!]


    [Calcting reward¡­, please wait¡­]


    [Calctionplete!]


    [You have been rewarded with 1 Skill Point!]


    [Avable Skill Points: 3]


    ¡­


    [You havepleted matchday system mission: A-ranked performance!]


    >Despiteing in as a substitute, you managed to turn the fate of a draw for your team around, putting on an incredible yer of the match disy by chipping in with the game-winning assist and a goal. Your incredible performance has been ranked by the system as A<


    [Calcting reward¡­, please wait¡­]


    [Calctionplete!]


    [You have been rewarded with 3 Skill Points!]


    [Avable Skill Points: 6]


    ~----~


    In the dressing room with his teammates who kept on congratting him despite the fact that the game already ended a few minutes ago, Sam felt on top of the world. Was there any feeling better than this?


    This was the perfect game that Sam could hope for. Giving an assist and a goal; even in his dreams, it was not this perfect.


    He was literally drenched in euphoria at this moment.


    Like his teammates and his coach though, at this moment, they paid attention to the television where Austin as the captain of Enyimba FC again gave some time to the reporters for the post-match press conference.


    "Austin, for the second straight game since the season started, your team managed to grind out a winning result. What do you think about your team''s performance today?"


    Hearing that question, Austin shrugged. "Well, what can I say, I dare say that we have a generational talent in our hands here".


    The male reporter smiled. "You mean the boy?"


    "Yes, and you better remember his name, he''s Samuel Moses," Austin grinned. "Sam is definitely destined for the top of the football world".


    "Do you feel he has what it takes to make it outside Nigeria?"


    "Not just outside Nigeria," Austin grinned. "Sam is made of the stuff to y in the elite European leagues, the boy has that much potential".


    "If that 45 minutes'' cameo didn''t convince you, I don''t know what else can".


    "Anyways, for your headline," Austin smiled mischieviously. "You can write that 17-year-old Samuel Moses drags Enyimba FC to victory in just his 2nd professional football game".


    The reporterughed. "That would indeed make a nice heading".


    "Anyways, thanks for having me captain, do have a nice day".


    "You too". With that and a big smile still on his face, this captain finally walked back to the dressing room where he met his coach by the corridor.


    "Oh, are you done?" Coach Yemi Daniel looked at his captain.


    "Yeah," nodding, Austin followed his coach in. As they walked, he could not help but ask. "Why?"


    "Huh?" Coach Yemi looked at his captain.


    "Why did you start him on the bench today? From his performances in the past 2 training games, Sam already showed that he''s in incredible form, why didn''t you start him from the first minute of the game?"


    Hearing that question, Coach Yemi Daniel grinned. "Well, Austin, what do you think is the greatest threat to promising young talents?"


    "Umm," Austin scratched his hair. "Laziness? Bad influence?"


    "Close but not quite the truth," Coach Yemi smiled. "You see, to young aspiring yers like Samuel, the worst thing that can happen to them is arrogance".


    "Entering a team like Enyimba FC and starting from the get-go in the starting 11 can easily get in the head of a youngster like him".


    "The boy may y like a pro on the pitch, but he''s still just 17. Besides," he smirked. "I know his type of personality already".


    "He''s the type that lets his emotions override him most times. It''s good, footballers like that find it easier to enter the zone state but at the same time, it''s easier for them to be corrupted by all the hype".


    "You see, Sam is a priced possession that I have, thest thing I want is for him to be corrupted by giving him prominence too early".


    "You mean you didn''t start him just to make him humble".


    "That''s right". This coach grinned.


    Austin shook his head. "What if we drew, or even worse lost?"


    "Then we lose," he waved his hand dismissively. "Losing 1 game is not the end of the world. Competing to win the league is a marathon, not a sprint".


    Hearing that, Austin finally smiled. "Got it, coach".


    Entering the dressing room, Coach Yemi Daniel said a few words to his yers before finally dismissing them as they returned to their apartments.


    Unlike with yers in Europe, the fame of these yers was not through the roof yet, which meant that no fans were asking for their autographs. This also meant that Sam could casually take the pedestrianne and trek home.


    Getting home, since it was Wednesday and it was alreadyte, he guessed that his mom was already home from work though he was certain that his dad would still be in the office. The first thing that Sam did was put a call home.


    "Hey, Sam! We watched your game!" The excited shriek of his sister was the first thing that attracted his attention.


    "Sam, you were so incredible!"


    "You''re awesome!"


    Sam was stupefied, he never expected his sister to be his first fangirl. ''Damn, this change¡­ was fast''.


    It was a wee change though, he grinned. "Thank you, thank you," he replied in a theatrical manner as his mom chuckled.


    "Sam, you''re truly making me begin to like this football game," his mom finally spoke. "If the game is this sweet and exciting, I wonder how when you were younger, it was always so full of bitterness".


    Paul paused on hearing that, he hesitated slightly before replying. "Mom, football is not always bed and roses like this".


    "Even in the professional stage, even yers abroad, they get injuries".


    "What?!"


    "Calm down mom," having expected this reaction, Sam also reacted fast. "Mom, injuries are part of football but because of our contract, our football clubs foot every hospital bills this time".


    "I''m not scared of injuries, recovering from them is what matters and when that timees, I''ll need all of your help".


    "Please help me when the timees, I promise I''ll make it to the top of the football world".


    "You''ll drive on a Rolls Royce with my money someday".


    Hearing that, Mrs. Moses blushed, she tried hard to hide it to no avail. She waved her hands dismissively. "Anyways, I pray you don''t get injured".


    The family of 3 engaged in more conversations, Sam especially noticing Sophia''s insistence to keep on asking about Austin. He threw a suspicious nce at his sister. ''This better not be what I think it is''. He thought.


    After a 30 minute talking session, he finally brought the call to an end.


    Laying down on his bed after taking his bath, Sam had a big grin on his face as he looked at the ceiling. ''I feel on top of the world''.

 Chapter 37: Matchday 3

    Like usual, it was that same night after their home game as his yers rested at home that Coach Yemi Daniel sent the fixtures of matchday 3 to their phones.


    Waking up the next morning, Sam viewed the picture on WhatsApp.


    A few days ago, he was put into the WhatsApp group of Enyimba FC.


    (Matchday 3:)


    >Nasarawa United ¨C Akwa United<


    >Date: 22 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Enugu Rangers ¨C Sunshine Stars<


    >Date: 22 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Abia Warriors ¨C Lobi Stars<


    >Date: 22 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Bayelsa United ¨C Wikki Tourist<


    >Date: 22 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Doma United ¨C Dakkada<


    >Date: 22 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >teau United ¨C Enyimba<


    >Date: 22 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Kwara United ¨C Bendel Insurance<


    >Date: 22 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >El Kanemi Warriors FC ¨C Gombe United<


    >Date: 22 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Rivers United ¨C Niger Tornadoes<


    >Date: 24 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Remo Stars ¨C Shooting Stars<


    >Date: 25 Jan, 2023<


    Just like after their matchday 1 game, they were given only 3 days of rest. Their next game would be yed on Sunday which meant that no rest for the yers. Their next game would be yed against teau United in away ground.


    Since they would have to travel to teau State for the game, from experience, Sam already knew that they had only 2 days of training which meant he had only 2 days to convince his coach to draft him in the starting line-up.


    That morning, waking up early as usual, Sam got set for training.


    Of course, hepleted his daily system quest first before going. Only after he got the sweet notifications and he consumed his daily low-grade physical conditioning elixir did he get set to go for training.


    Unknown to him though, that morning while he jogged, a video of him was taken by a certain yer of Enyimba FC, his teammate.


    Like usual, Austin dapo was one of the Enyimba FC yers to arrive earliest for training. Immediately after Coach Yemi Daniel arrived for training that morning, he walked over before showing him a video.


    This captain eyed his coach. "I just wanted you to see this," he smiled. "Nothing is getting in the head of that boy, his mentality is unlike any other yer I''ve been privileged to y with here in Enyimba FC".


    "Sam''s love for football is insane. It won''t wane, I guarantee that. He can''t be distracted, so coach, do the needful and draft the boy in the starting line-up".


    "You brat," Coach Yemi Daniel punched his captain yfully on the shoulder due to the tone he used on him. "Get lost".


    Chuckling, Austin left to change into his training attire.


    Sam was also among the earliest yers to arrive for training. Once it was 8:00am sharp, Coach Yemi Daniel led his yers to the pitch where he took them through the light training before finally ramping the intensity.


    From jogging, they progressed through all the training drills before finally ying a training match which Sam and Austin''s team won.


    After the training game, like usual, Coach Yemi Daniel finally presented his preferred starting 11 for the uing away game to his yers.


    Goalkeeper: Olorunleke Ojo


    Center Back: Timothy Dadi


    Center Back: Adekunle Adeleke


    Right Back: Sadiq Abubakar


    Left Back: Ezekiel Bassey


    Central Midfielder: Austin dapo


    Attacking Midfielder: Samuel Moses


    Defensive Midfielder: Farouk Mohammed


    Center Forward: Emeka Obioma


    Left Winger: Chijioke Mbaoma


    Right Winger: Victor Mbaoma


    For the uing away game, there was only 1 change to the starting XI. After Olisema''s performance in the home game contrasted against Sam''s performance, the 17-year-old was finally given the nod to start a game.


    That afternoon, Sam once again felt on top of the world. Instinctively, a grin crept up his face already as he threw a grateful nce at his coach.


    Coach Yemi Daniel acknowledged his nce with a simple nod. Sam knew what it meant. ''Don''t disappoint me''.


    ''I won''t!'' He answered in his own mind.


    Returning home that day, Sam put even more effort into his post-match recovery processes to make sure that his body was perfectly recovered and in tip-top shape for the uing away game on Sunday.


    Away games were always tough, he wanted to be the difference maker again.


    That night, he had another family call with his family. This time, his dad was present as they talked about a lot of things.


    When it was time for him to sleep though, his android phone beeped with a new notification. Checking it, he discovered that it was from his coach.


    All of matchday 2 games were finally yed and like his tradition, this Nigerian coach sent all the results to every one of his yers.


    Sam opened the WhatsApp image.


    (Matchday 2 results:)


    >Abia Warriors 3-1 Bayelsa United<


    >Date: 18 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Lobi Stars 1-0 Enugu Rangers<


    >Date: 18 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Dakkada 2-1 Wikki Tourist<


    >Date: 18 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Enyimba 2-0 Akwa United<


    >Date: 18 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Sunshine Stars 1-1 Rivers United<


    >Date: 19 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Niger Tornadoes 1-0 Doma United<


    >Date: 19 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >El Kanemi Warriors FC 2-1 Nasarawa United<


    >Date: 19 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Gombe United 0-1 Remo Stars<


    >Date: 19 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Shooting Stars 0-0 Kwara United<


    >Date: 19 Jan, 2023<


    Enyimba FC was already topping the league table with 6 points due to their perfect record of 2 wins in 2 games.


    Sam slept with a big smile on his face.


    The next morning, waking up, he said a prayer before getting off with his daily activities. Starting off bypleting his daily system quest on time, he soon got prepared before going for morning training.


    Coach Yemi Daniel was even more intense today with the training as he drilled his tactics into his yers'' heads, making sure that they understood his instructions on how they would approach the teau United game.


    When the training game time finally came, in a different team from his captain this time, Sam still managed to put on an incredible performance and despite the fact that Olisema put out an improved performance, Coach Yemi Daniel''s starting XI for the next game remained unchanged.


    That day, as the yers returned home from training, Sam felt Olisema''s ire. The yer didn''t do anything drastic, but his piercing re told the full story.


    Cyril Olisema was not happy with his current situation in the club.


    It didn''t concern Sam though, what mattered was that finally, after weeks of trying his best, he finally broke into the starting XI of Enyimba FC.


    Sam had a great night rest again and the next day, unlike what he expected, the team still did light training in the morning under their coach before they finally embarked on the journey to teau State.


    When the journey started, Sam finally understood.


    The distance from Aba in Abia State to teau State was an incredible 738 kilometers, so the team took a flight instead of the regr bus.


    It was Sam''s first time traveling by air.

 Chapter 38: Plateau United vs Enyimba FC

    Arriving in Jos, teau State, Sam did not have the luxury of taking in the sights of this entirely new state in his country to him as led by their coach, all the yers went to their hotel.


    Coach Yemi Daniel had very strict away game rules. From beginning till the end of the game, no yer was expected to leave the hotel without permission.


    They came to y a football game, and the coach would not tolerate any distractions. Just like that, Sam''s yearning for adventure was doused.


    He didn''tin though, he was happy to stay focused on the game.


    After onest tactical set-up and talk in the hotel, Coach Yemi Daniel bid his yers farewell, sending them off to sleep.


    And again, Sam shared a room with his captain, Austin dapo.


    That night, they had more time to bond between themselves, talking about teau United, their tactical set-up, their ystyle and their best yers.


    Despite their long talk though, Austin was disciplined, telling his younger teammate to go to sleep once it was past 10:00pm.


    The next morning, Sam woke up early with his captain and together, they jogged out of the hotel premises as Sam took the opportunity toplete his daily system quest.


    Watching him go through a specific routine, Austin was amazed. "This routine, how did you know to start it up?"


    Hearing him, Sam grinned. "You see, I''m very ambitious. I want to y for FC Barcelona one day, I want to be a legend there like Lionel Messi is".


    "To y for FC Barcelona, I can''t afford to ck, that''s why I created this rigorous daily training routine for myself".


    Hearing him, Austin smiled. "I believe you Sam. I can''t wait to watch you y and dominate in uing big European Champions League nights".


    "I hope you don''t forget me and get me a ticket to watch you live someday".


    "I will". Samughed.


    And with that, both yers jogged back to their hotel rooms. For the rest of the day, they used different means to rx, preparing mentally for the game in the evening and when it was time, they left with their coach on a bus.


    The Jos International Stadium, the home ground of teau United was a big stadium with a capacity of 60,000, one of the best in the country.


    For this game, though the stadium was in no way filled to the brim, there were still lots of fans in the stands cheering their team on.


    Sam was about to face-off against another hostile atmosphere alongside his teammates in away ground. Despite this though, the knowledge that Austin was on his side managed to calm his nerves.


    Sam did not let the excitement get to him.


    A few minutester, the yers finally walked out into the pitch and after the coin toss by the referee, Enyimba FC was to start kick-off.


    Austin briefly patted Sam. "Don''t let the fans get in your head, at all times, keep your head in the game".


    "Yes, captain". Sam nodded.


    FWEEEE!


    The game finallymenced.


    Enyimba FC kicked off the game, showing their intent to y their normal style despite the fact that they were in the away ground of such a strong team.


    They had no intentions of wilting under the pressure of their opponents despite the fact that their opponents were buoyed by the presence of their fans.


    From the first minute, Enyimba FC yed scintiting possession football despite the loud noise being made by the opposition fans.


    For the first 10 minutes of this game, both teams were even as they each had their moments. And the more time passed as the game settled, the tighter the game became, the perfect stage for the star yers to shine.


    24 minutes into the game, a star finally got his chance to shine as Enyimba FC won a corner amid boos from the teau United fans.


    After going to the corner g, Austin took a look before ying a quick corner.


    There was pushing and tussling in the box but in the end, Farouk Mohammed managed to rise above all the yers as this yer nted a firm headed shot towards the top left corner of the post.


    The teau United goalkeeper was rooted to the spot and could only watch as this ball nestled into his.


    Landing awkwardly but recovering immediately, Farouk charged towards the corner g to celebrate. "GOAL¡­.!" He roared exuberantly.


    In this tight game, in the 24th minute, Enyimba FC got the lead 0-1.


    FWEEEE!


    As soon as the game restarted, urged by their restless fans, the teau United yers finally geared into another level, taking this game like a war all of a sudden as they became extremely physical.


    In the next 10 minutes, 3 yellow cards were given by the referee but then, teau United won another corner in the 35th minute of the game.


    Their star midfielder took his duty, curling a cross in as 2 yers rose highest, Onyebuchi, the teau United defender and Farouk, Enyimba''s defensive midfielder. Both yers vied for the ball in the air but in the end, Onyebuchi won, awkwardly nting a header towards the bottom right corner.


    Ojo, the Enyimba FC goalkeeper reacted, charging towards the ball as his hand pushed it a bit but it was not enough. He pushed it into his.


    "GOALLL¡­!" The stadium immediately came alive.


    In the 35th minute of the game, teau United leveled the score.


    With that goal, the momentum shifted as teau United rode the energy of their fans, mounting attack after attack against the Enyimba FC backline.


    And it was during this time that a certain midfielder got his chance to shine. As if he had endless stamina, Sam ran all over the pitch, winning tackles and interventions as he helped his team win the midfield battle.


    In the end, despite how nervy thest few minutes of the first half was for Enyimba FC, they managed to hold on to a draw by half time.


    The game was a tight one.


    As soon as the referee''s whistle sounded, the yers went to the dressing room where they were addressed by their coaches.

 Chapter 39: A performance for the ages [1]

    p! p!


    Coach Yemi Daniel pped energetically as he faced his yers in the locker room. "Do you feel that we cannot win?" He looked round at all of them.


    "Come on!" He pped again. "I know we''re in the home stadium of teau United, a tough side but we''re Enyimba boys!"


    "We''re Enyimba and we don''t give in even in the home of our rivals!"


    "In the second half, I want you guys to increase the intensity. Let them feel the pressure, let them make mistakes".


    "Home advantage can be a double-edged sword at times when you''re ying against a team like Enyimba. We want to win, but theirs, they must win due to their on-watching fans which puts the pressure on them".


    "Let''s use this to our advantage in the second half. Press for the ball, force them into making mistakes and capitalize!" He pped. "Counter swiftly!"


    He looked at his striker. "Emeka, I know that they have huge center backs but your performance in the first half has been less than satisfactory".


    "I want you to put that physicality of yours to good use, give them more trouble. Even if you don''t score a goal, stack the pressure on them, you get me?"


    "Yes coach". Emeka nodded.


    "Austin, you''re doing a good job. You too Farouk". And then this coach finally turned his eyes towards Sam''s direction.


    Feeling his coach''s gaze fall on him, Sam gulped. "Sam, your work-rate in the first half was seriously impressive, I give you credits for that but in the second half, I want more than just work-rate".


    "I want prative balls in behind the defenders for Emeka to capitalize on. Come on, you can do it, just do it".


    "And when you get the chance, shoot".


    Hearing his coach''s instructions, Sam heaved a deep sigh of relief. Unlike what he feared, he was not about to be substituted out of the game.


    "Yes coach". He answered immediately.


    "Good, now get ready, we''ll soon go back to the pitch".


    While his teammates did their final preparations to go back into the pitch, alongside them, Sam did something extra; he worked on his mind. ''teau United is strong but this is the perfect opportunity for me''.


    ''Making an impression against strong opposition is the best way to solidify my starting spot, and most importantly, show myself to the world''.


    ''It''s one step at a time''. He took a deep breath. ''I need to score a goal''.


    By the time the yers re-entered the pitch, Sam already entered a deep level of concentration as a lot of things were abstracted from his mind. He was determined to leave his mark in this game.


    FWEEEE!


    As soon as the referee''s whistle went off, teau United restarted the game.


    From the 45th minute, it was clear immediately that teau United also approached this second half to win as they rushed towards the Enyimba FC half with an aggressive intention to score.


    A series of tiki-taka passester, their center midfielder got the ball just outside the box and immediately, this yer took his shot.


    Whoosh!


    Immediately after the shot was taken, a leg slid in, blocking the shot as the ball rebounded back up field.


    The yer who slid in for the block was Sam.


    While the teau United yers passed between themselves, having determined where the easiest way to shoot and score was, Sam charged towards there ahead of time, reading his opponent''s intentions to block the shot.


    Immediately, an Enyimba FC counterattack started.


    Bringing the ball down with his chest, Emeka deftly kicked this ball to the left side of the pitch as the Enyimba left winger, Chijioke chased after the ball.


    Running along the length of the pitch with it, this left winger cut in before curling a shot at goal but the teau United goalkeeper was at hand to make an incredible diving save.


    The first shots of the second half from both teams were already fired in this intense game. And with it, the intensity increased.


    Clearly, Coach Yemi Daniel was not the only one who told his yers to increase the tempo as the teau United yers also yed with incredible intensity, running all over the pitch.


    Enyimba FC struggled to dominate the midfield battle.


    But in these chaotic circumstances was where a certain boy shone. With his incredible stamina, Sam became the driving heart of Enyimba FC for the first 20 minutes of the 2nd half as the score remained 1-1.


    This was until a moment of magic happened, not from Enyimba, but teau United as they won a free kick right outside the Enyimba FC box.


    Standing before the ball after the referee''s whistle sounded, the teau United center midfielder did a short run before curling a shot into the top left corner of the post. Ojo could only dive to no avail, unable to stop the ball going in.


    "GOALLL¡­!" Jos International Stadium roared to life as the teau United fans celebrated wildly.


    Running to the corner g, this yer did a back flip celebration, rousing the excited home fans even more.


    In the 67th minute of the game, teau United went ahead 2-1.


    Sam stayed calm. ''This is it,'' he thought. ''There''s no better time than now to seize my moment before I lose it''.


    ''I can''t afford to lose it''.


    ''I must not lose it!'' He was determined.


    FWEEEE!


    When the referee''s whistle sounded again, like a man possessed, Sam rose heads and shoulders above all his teammates again as he yed as the driving engine of the incredible machine called Enyimba FC.


    To the bystander, it was clear already that if Enyimba FC was to get anything from this game, it woulde through their attacking midfielder who was ying like a man possessed at this moment.


    It got to the extent that every time Sam won back possession, the teau United fans booed loudly but he didn''t care, only focused on ying football.


    Even without scoring or assisting a goal, he was already putting on an impressive disy but Sam was not satisfied with that.


    ''I want more,'' he thought. ''I need more!''


    And finally, his moment came, just 3 minutes after teau United scored.


    Another Enyimba FC attack was thwarted as teau United aimed to kick start their own attack but immediately after the ball was passed from deep, a pair of legs slid through the green grass, blocking the ball.


    Sam hated defending before bing a professional yer, but weeks of ying football alongside Austin was already rubbing off him.


    These days, he didn''t mind getting dirty on the football pitch.


    Sam won back possession just outside the teau United 18-yard box! Immediately after his leg stopped the ball, he smelled danger, the teau United yers also saw it.


    As soon as he sprang back to his feet, trapping the ball, a teau United yer charged close to block any shooting angle.


    Sam raised his right leg to shoot, but it was a feint.


    Effortlessly, he cut the ball to the left, evading the yer as another teau United yer was already charging in.


    This yer stuck his leg out, and then Sam cut the ball back to his stronger right foot. This time, he didn''t hesitate, unleashing a powerful knuckle shot.


    Sam almost never used knuckle shots, his shooting was not that advanced to execute it perfectly but in that moment, a knuckle shot was the best way to hit the ball and the adrenaline made him do it.


    Guess what? It worked, beautifully.


    Bam!


    As soon as Sam''s right leg hit the ball, the ball rose up high into the sky before curving back down into the top right corner of the teau United.


    The teau United goalkeeper could not even dive as he didn''t expect it, hepletely misjudged the shot.


    "GOALLLL¡­!" Sam roared. "Come on!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.


    He didn''t celebrate though, running all the way to the to pick the ball before rushing back up field. That goal felt like a shot of glucose to him, filling his veins with flowing adrenaline.


    He was not satisfied yet, he wanted more. ''One more goal to win!''


    Sam was already putting out an incredible performance.


    FWEEEE!


    The referee restarted y, teau United kicked the ball.

 Chapter 40: A performance for the ages [2]

    That goal definitely rattled some nerves.


    No one saw iting, it was unexpected and against the run of y,ing from a moment of individual brilliance from the in-form attacking midfielder.


    The noise in the stadium rose up a notch as the riled up teau United fans went all-in behind their team, eager to support them on the pitch.


    They were determined to win also, maybe even more so for the bragging rights. Football fans enjoyed bragging with their clubs, mostly when they won against their bitter rivals.


    And in the Nigerian professional football league, Enyimba FC and teau United were footballing rivals.


    teau United restarted the game in the 71st minute but immediately, it was clear that Sam was not cooling down yet as he ran everywhere.


    This midfielder''s incredible performance was beautiful and should be appreciated if only he was not ying in away ground.


    Every time that Sam won the ball, intercepted a pass, blocked a shot, or made an incredible y on the pitch, it irked the teau United fans.


    BOOOOO!


    Sam was subjected to an ocean of boos but he was unfazed.


    teau United was still the team dominating possession after the game continued but yet, Enyimba FC came closest, Sam pulling the strings again as he unleashed another outside the box shot that rattled off the post.


    Tensions rose in this stadium.


    BOOO!


    The fans kept on ying their own part in this incredible battle and finally, in the 81st minute of the game, their relentless energy finally paid off.


    After receiving a pass from midfield, the teau United right winger drove deep with the ball through the right side of the pitch and after beating his man threw a dangerous cross in.


    The cross started everything, kick starting a chaotic scramble for the ball in the Enyimba FC box and it was in this chaos when the dangerous teau United striker managed to poke the ball into the.


    Ojo stood rooted to the spot, he didn''t even see the balling.


    "GOALLLL¡­!" Jos International Stadium roared to life again, the ecstatic fans voicing out their euphoria loudly.


    3-2 to teau United in the 81st minute!


    The yers celebrated wildly.


    FWEEEE!


    Just a minute after the referee''s whistle sounded though to continue y, Jos International Stadium became as quiet as a church.


    Austin passed the ball to Sam who passed to Victor in the right wing. Victor bombed down the teau United half with speed through the right, before cutting a pass back into the midfield close to the box.


    As soon as the ball was hit, Sam erupted with incredible agility, getting to the ball first as he gently nudged it with the outside of his right boot past the closest teau United yer, then he raised his head and took a nce at goal.


    POW!


    That was exactly how the ball sounded as his leg struck it with venom!


    Like a missile, this rotating ball rushed through the green grass, sending a few flying as with needle uracy, it tore into the bottom left corner of the.


    The teau United goalkeeper dived but he stood no chance.


    A rocket shot, an incredible goal.


    "What a goal!" Thementators were already going crazy. "Damn! Samuel Moses truly is in the mood today!"


    "2 goals within 2 minutes! What a game this is turning out to be!"


    "This teenager is singlehandedly lifting the mighty Enyimba on the pitch today!"


    BOOO!


    The boos from the teau United fans resumed immediately after the silence. In response, Sam pumped a fist in the air at them in defiance.


    He was already in viin mode.


    In the 82nd minute of the game, the game was tied again 3-3.


    In the bench, Coach Yemi Daniel''s assistant had a conversation with him. "Don''t you think it''s time to bring Olisema on?"


    Coach Yemi turned to look at his assistant with an ''are you mad?'' look on his face. "Are you for real? Are you seeing the kind of form that boy is in?"


    "I''d be a fool to take him off now!"


    "But what about humility?"


    "F*ck humility!"


    FWEEEE!


    The game continued.


    For the final 8 minutes of this second half before the 90th minute, the yers of both teams seemed to have collectively decided to go all-out attack.


    Attacking raid after attacking raid wereunched by both teams, somehow mostly created and executed by their midfielders.


    The midfielders of both teams were on top of their game but despite all of them shining, a teenager was still the one who shone brightest, Samuel Moses.


    Sam out-staged every other yer in the midfield battle.


    For thest 8 minutes, even as he created for his teammates amid the chaos and hostile atmosphere, he also had his moments as the closest he came was from a header and a volley shot that shed just by the post.


    And finally, 90 minutes of this intense game was over.


    The referee added an incredible 7 minutes to the game. 7 more minutes to war, 7 more minutes to die for.


    The yers kept on ying like the game was a war and they were the soldiers, putting their body on the line to block sure goal-scoring chances while also threatening at the other end.


    In the end though, fortune favors the bold as in the 90th plus 5 minute, teau United got their clearest chance since the score was tied 3-3.


    Somehow managing to catch the Enyimba FC defenders off-guard, the star teau United center midfielder yed a defense-splitting through pass for his striker to run into as this tall striker outran the defenders.


    He arrived at the ball first but Ojo read the danger fast as this goalkeeper already rushed out with speed, making his body as big as possible.


    Bam!


    The stadium held collective breaths as the teau United striker took his shot, Ojo closed his eyes and in a moment of luck, the ball hit him on his chest, ricocheting off as the nearest yers immediately scrambled for the ball.


    The closest teau United yer tried to sneak in a shot but outmuscling him, Adekunle, the huge Enyimba center back awkwardly cleared the ball.


    The ballnded just outside the Enyimba 18-yard box, in a vacant space unupied by yers and the first person to react was Sam.


    Most of the teau United yers were already in Enyimba FC''s half, all pushing up field, desperately seeking the winning goal.


    Due to this, Sam had just 1 defender ahead of him to beat if he decided to run with the ball.


    He didn''t decide to run with it though, instead stealing a nce up field, Sam noticed the teau United goalkeeper slightly off his lines.


    That was all he needed to see.


    Digging into his reserves, Sam charged towards this ball and then, he hit it first time with his right foot with all the power that he could muster into the shot.


    BAM!


    The sound reverberated like a gunshot, the ball rose into the air with speed, dipped as the teau United goalkeeper charged back to his post before falling into an empty.


    The goalkeeper could not make it back in time.


    In the 90th plus 5 minute, Sam scored again to make the score line 3-4,pleting his hat trick in the most ridiculous of circumstances.


    "¡­!"

 Chapter 41: A performance for the ages [3]

    The score line was 3-4 in Enyimba FC''s favor.


    "¡­!" Jos International Stadium for the second time in this game became as silent as a church, you could almost hear a pin drop, and then¡­


    "GOALLLL¡­!" Sam roared at the top of his lungs, his roar mixing with the roar of his teammates to form a deafening cacophony.


    He just scored the goal to give his team the lead in this nervy game again, and this time, he could celebrate because they were already winning.


    Running towards the corner g as the stadium became noisy again, Sam jumped high into the air, punching his fist excitedly to celebrate.


    As soon as hended back on the pitch, he was hounded by his teammates who hugged him from all sides, patting his head and screaming excitedly.


    In the spotlight, with all the cameras on him, for the second consecutive game, Sam felt on top of the world.


    As the celebrations drew to a close, having thought of something, he pulled his jersey before disying his name and his jersey number to the camera.


    His jersey number was 19. When he signed his professional contract with Enyimba FC, Mr. Moses did well to include giving his son the number 19 jersey just like young Lionel Messi in the contract terms.


    Of course, taking his celebration that far drew a yellow card from the referee but Sam didn''t give a damn. To him, the moment was more than worth it.


    Jogging back into the pitch, the teau United fans could no longer boo him. By now, they already admitted defeat to this exciting teenager.


    They could tell that they were bearing witness to a performance for the ages.


    FWEEEE!


    When the referee''s whistle sounded again, the noise around the stadium rose up a crescendo again as the teau United fans went for onest go at trying to push their team to at least secure a draw.


    In those final 2 minutes, the teau United yers yed recklessly, desperate to find a goal but led by their captain, Austin dapo this time, Enyimba FC defended like a unit, shutting down all channels to goal.


    When the final whistle eventually sounded, disappointed teau United yers copsed on the pitch as the tired Enyimba FC yers jubted.


    Without a doubt, this was their most exciting game of the season already.


    The tension, the tough away ground, the level of their opponents, and the incredible goal-fest thriller of 7 goals, all of it was unforgettable, making this game a highlight for the Nigerian Professional Football League.


    And of course, for the 2nd consecutive game, Sam managed to scoop home the man of the match award while also iming the match ball.


    This time, for the post-match interview though, Austin was not the only one going to meet the reporters due to the special circumstances today.


    Since he scored a hat trick, Sam got set to face reporters for the first time in his hatchling career as a professional football yer.


    Austin eased his nerves. "Take it easy man, chill out. Be calm and wise, answer only questions that you are sure of their answers".


    "And don''t let them drag you into the trap of tricky questions. If you''re unsure, just keep quiet and leave it to me, I''ll do the talking".


    "Yes, boss".


    Austin looked at him and chuckled. "You dey whine me?" He spoke pidgin. "Today, you''re the boss".


    ¡­


    "Sam, what an incredible game you yed out there today!"


    "You''re just 17 yet you''re already lighting up the stage as the best yer for a storied team of the Nigerian Professional Football League like Enyimba FC, iming back to back man of the match awards, how do you feel?"


    Sam grinned at the female reporter, breathing heavily. "Honestly, I feel great. Since I was six, I had the dream to y professional football".


    "Knowing that I managed to achieve my dream and make it to this stage alone is incredibly amazing, then winning the man of the match award?" He rubbed his short ck hair. "That''s the cherry on top for me".


    "I get to do what I love and get recognized for it, who wouldn''t feel great?" He chuckled.


    "You''re right," the female reporter smiled. "Well, you didn''t just help your team win today, you were outright the best yer on the pitch all evening. Besides, you scored a hattrick today".


    "Do you think you''re the best yer of Enyimba FC? And do you think you can win the golden boot?"


    Hearing that, Sam threw a sneaky nce at his captain who acted nonchnt before he answered. "Well, saying that I''m the best yer of Enyimba FC is honestly a misguided opinion".


    "Performing well for one game doesn''t make me the best". He smiled. "As a matter of fact, we have the best yer of Enyimba FC right here with us, Austin". He pointed at his captain who chuckled.


    The reporter alsoughed. "Fair enough". She nodded.


    "As for me winning the golden boot? I haven''t really set such big goals for myself yet, all I care about right now is helping my team win every game thates".


    "There are seasoned goal scorers in the league that I can only look up to and respect. If I continue scoring at this rate, then fine, I''ll relish the opportunity topete with elite goal scorers like them".


    The reporter smiled. "Well, Sam, thanks for answering my questions". She finally paid attention to the captain of Enyimba FC. "Austin, any opinion about today''s game and the way your team yed?"


    "Nah," Austin shook his head. "The only thing I have to say is that told yah," he grinned. "Remember the name, Samuel Moses".


    Sam blushed. "Stop captain".


    Austin was unfazed though. "I''m serious, we''re literally seeing a legend in the making. I can''t wait for when he finally gets to y for FC Barcelona".


    The female reporter smiled again. "Well, thanks to both of you for having me, don''t have a nice day, have a great day".


    Austin grinned at her.


    And with that, the post-match interview came to an end.


    A grueling away match for Enyimba FC finally concluded with a hard-fought victory.

 Chapter 42: Season system quest

    Returning to their hotel room, Sam finally paid attention to the multiple system notifications that he shelved before due to the post-match interview.


    The system notifications this time were longer than normal, he was curious.


    After taking his bath andying down on his bed, exhausted even as his captain already dozed off, Sam paid attention to his system interface.


    ~----~


    [You havepleted matchday system mission: Win the game!]


    [You yed all 90 minutes of this football game as a starter!]


    [Calcting reward¡­, please wait¡­]


    [Calctionplete!]


    [You have been rewarded with 2 Skill Points!]


    [Avable Skill Points: 8]


    ¡­


    [You havepleted matchday system mission: S-ranked performance!]


    >In your first professional football game as a starter, you managed to showcase an impressive performance, putting on an incredible yer of the match disy by scoring the first hattrick of your professional football career. Your incredible performance has been ranked by the system as S<


    [Calcting reward¡­, please wait¡­]


    [Calctionplete!]


    [You have been rewarded with 5 Skill Points!]


    [Avable Skill Points: 13]


    ¡­


    [During today''s game, real-time game experience umtion was at work, witnessing your incredible performance and granting you with the corresponding upgrade!]


    [Your shot uracy has improved!]


    [Congrattions! Your shooting attribute has increased by +1]


    [Your one-on-one defending has improved!]


    [Your man-marking skills has improved!]


    [Your zonal marking skills has improved!]


    [Congrattions! Your defending attribute has increased by +2]


    [Congrattions! Your stamina attribute has increased by +1]


    [Congrattions! You have met the requirements to level up!]


    [Your overall yer rating has increased to 71!]


    ¡­


    yer Attributes:


    *Pace: 72


    *Shot: 70


    *Pass: 74


    *Dribbling: 66


    *Defending: 35


    *Physicality: 63


    *Stamina: 79


    Overall Rating: 71


    ¡­


    [Your mastery over the football skill ''Knuckle Shot'' has increased to basic!]


    (Skill progress to intermediate level: 18/100)


    [Congrattions! Your shooting attribute has increased again by +2]


    *Shot: 72


    ¡­


    [You havepleted a hidden system mission: Score a hat trick!]


    [Congrattions! The system has awakened to level 3!]


    [You have unlocked level 3 perk: Inventory!]


    >System inventory is a secondary dimensional space where you can store anything except living things<


    [System Inventory Slots: 8]


    [Slot 1: Low-grade physical conditioning elixir]


    ¡­


    [NOTE: A new slot can be bought in the system inventory in exchange for 5 Skill Points.]


    [Snooping Tool has been upgraded to level 3!]


    [You can now ess the skills of yers and their respective masteries]


    ~----~


    In a single game, Sam managed to gain so much, he was amazed.


    Due to his incredible performance in today''s game, he managed to upgrade 3 of his attributes despite the fact that none of them ever budged once even with his efforts for the past few weeks.


    This once again showed the importance of professional game experience, this was the main reason why ying time was very important for a professional football yer''s growth and form.


    Apart from the fact that his system finally awakened to another level, one thing that truly excited him among the system notifications was the new skill that the system just indicated in his yer status.


    ''Finally!'' He thought excitedly. ''I did it without spending skill points!''


    Sam could still remember that moment vividly when he scored with the knuckle shot. He didn''t n it, he didn''t think about it, everything that happened was instinctive, a reflex action.


    He put a mental reminder to try it out again in his next training session.


    This also brought him to his skills tab, he wanted to see the updated section of his football skills in the system interface.


    ~----~


    [Owned Football Skills:]


    (La Croqueta)


    (Skill Mastery Level: Basic)


    (Skill progress to intermediate level: 31/100]


    ~


    (Body Feint)


    (Skill Mastery Level: Basic)


    (Skill progress to intermediate level: 17/100)


    ¡­


    (Cruyff Turn)


    (Skill Mastery Level: Basic)


    (Skill progress to intermediate level: 89/100)


    ¡­


    (Power Shot)


    (Skill Mastery Level: Basic)


    (Skill progress to intermediate level: 15/100)


    ¡­


    (Knuckle Shot)


    (Skill Mastery Level: Basic)


    (Skill progress to intermediate level: 18/100)


    ~----~


    Sam noted that apart from his newly gained football skill at the basic mastery level, 2 of his other football skills in the form of his power shot and body feint skills were slowly showing progress to the intermediate level.


    ''Sweet''. He thought.


    And finally, he paid attention to thest section of system notifications that his system had for him after the game.


    Unlike the first ones, these system notifications were new, different.


    ~----~


    [Congrattions! You have yed your first game for Enyimba FC as a starting XI yer; you are now eligible for the season system quest!]


    [You have unlocked Season System Quests!]


    [Your club, Enyimba FC is only eligible topete for 2 trophies, the NPFL Championship Trophy and the Nigerian FA Cup!]


    [NOTE: To present the best growth and career path for host, host mustpete in the CAF Champions League!]


    [Recalibrating¡­, please wait¡­]


    ~----~


    For the first time since Sam gained his system after the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, he saw the blue screen of the system suddenly go off.


    At first, he panicked, wondering what happened but his wait onlysted 20 seconds as the system screen came back on.


    ''What happened?'' He thought. ''Why did the system briefly go off?''


    He had so many questions but no answers.


    The system continued disying the notifications. For some reason, staring at these notifications, Sam felt like the font was duller than normal. ''Why does it seem as if the system is suddenly working on low energy?''


    He didn''t think deeper into it though, focusing on the notifications.


    ~----~


    [Reality recalibrationplete!]


    [Through the rule of allocation by national association, Enyimba FC has been allocated a slot topete in the CAF Champions League for the 2022/2023 football season!]


    [Your club, Enyimba FC is now eligible topete for 3 trophies, the NPFL Championship Trophy, the Nigerian FA Cup, and the CAF Champions League!]


    [Season Quest 1: NPFL Championship]


    [Mission 1: Win the NPFL Championship with Enyimba FC!]


    [Mission Reward: +3 increase to 5 random football attributes, +50 Skill Points, and a random bonus reward!]


    ¡­


    [Mission 2: Win the best yer award of the league!]


    [Mission Reward: Random reward]


    ***


    [Season Quest 2: FA Cup]


    [Mission 1: Win the FA Cup with Enyimba FC!]


    [Mission Reward: +2 increase to 2 random football attributes, +30 Skill Points, and a random bonus reward!]


    ¡­


    [Mission 2: Win the best yer award in the FA Cup!]


    [Mission Reward: Random reward]


    ***


    [Season Quest 3: CAF Champions League]


    [Mission 1: Win the CAF Champions League with Enyimba FC!]


    [Mission Reward: +7 increase to a random football attribute, +100 Skill Points, and a random bonus reward!]


    ¡­


    [Mission 2: Win the best yer award in the CAF Champions League!]


    [Mission Reward: Random reward]


    ~----~


    Sam was amazed. ''But Enyimba FC didn''t qualify for the CAF Champions league!''

 Chapter 43: A busy schedule [1]

    {NTA News Story!}


    {BREAKING NEWS!}


    {The national association of Nigerian football received an additional slot in the CAF Champions League and in an inexplicable decision based on past merits, the additional slot to y in the CAF Champions League has been handed to Enyimba FC in an act of great generosity!}


    {The CAF Champions league schedule has already been adjusted to ount for the participation of an entirely new club in thepetition this year.}


    {ording to the national association President, giving a strong team like Enyimba FC the chance to shine in the CAF Champions League again will bolster the poprity and image of the Nigerian football league to the world.]


    Sam woke up the next morning to this blockbuster news.


    He was shocked. ''What the heck!''


    In the 2021/2022 football season, Enyimba FC had a bad season, ending the season with 0 trophies while finishing 7th in the league.


    This was the reason why for the 2022/2023 football season, they were only eligible topete in the league and in the FA Cup. Sam did not expect the situation of his club to change overnight. Unexpectedly, nobody foreshadowed it.


    Austin woke up that morning, ecstatic after being the first to learn the news. He was the one who woke Sam up and broke the news to him.


    After reading it, instead of joining in the ecstasy, Sam felt goosebumps all over his body. ''Don''t tell me¡­!''


    ''Holy sikes¡­!''


    He had a recollection to yesterday when he went through the series of notifications that his system barraged him with after his incredible performance yesterday. He remembered when the system screen went off, apparently, the system was recalibrating.


    ''Was that when it happened?''


    His eyes widened. ''Is this even realistically possible?''


    ''Damn! Does the system even have the ability to bend reality to its will?!''


    ''Holy freaks¡­, that''s messed up!''


    ''Is that why the fonts of the system suddenly looked so dull after? Did it expend a lot of energy to do it?''


    ''Oh my f*cking Jesus! What is the limit to the capabilities of the system?''


    ''Does it have endless, infinite possibilities?''


    Sam was so shocked that he could barely speak.


    "Hey". Sam waved at his face. "Hey, are you ok?"


    Sam looked at his captain and forced a smile. "Yeah, I''m good, I was just overwhelmed by the shock of the situation".


    "I understand". Austin grinned. "I felt the same way".


    Well, it was only a momentary shock, the blockbuster news didn''t affect the 2 footballers'' schedule as getting set, they soon left toplete their daily jogging and training for the morning.


    After exerting himself for almost an hour, Sam managed toplete his daily system quest in time to get prepared and join his teammates at the airport.


    Together, at the airport, they finally left Jos, teau State.


    And well, yesterday''s game officially pushed Sam into the fore of Enyimba FC''s ns, dragging him into the busy schedule that came with it.


    After his performance against teau United, he solidified his position as one of the guaranteed starting XI yers of Enyimba FC. He was now the nailed-in starting attacking midfielder of Enyimba FC.


    It would take a lot for Cyril Olisema to force his way back into the starting XI.


    The next day, like usual, Coach Yemi Daniel sent his yers the next match day fixtures including the results for the match day 3 fixtures.


    (Matchday 3 results)


    >Nasarawa United 0-3 Akwa United<


    >Date: 22 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Enugu Rangers 1-1 Sunshine Stars<


    >Date: 22 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Abia Warriors 0-1 Lobi Stars<


    >Date: 22 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Bayelsa United 2-1 Wikki Tourist<


    >Date: 22 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Doma United 1-0 Dakkada<


    >Date: 22 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >teau United 3-4 Enyimba<


    >Date: 22 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Kwara United 0-1 Bendel Insurance<


    >Date: 22 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >El Kanemi Warriors FC 0-0 Gombe United<


    >Date: 22 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Rivers United 2-1 Niger Tornadoes<


    >Date: 24 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Remo Stars 2-0 Shooting Stars<


    >Date: 25 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    (Matchday 4:)


    >Dakkada ¨C Rivers United<


    >Date: 28 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Bendel Insurance ¨C Remo Stars<


    >Date: 28 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Enyimba ¨C Kwara United<


    >Date: 29 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Akwa United ¨C teau United<


    >Date: 29 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Lobi Stars ¨C Bayelsa United<


    >Date: 29 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Sunshine Stars ¨C Abia Warriors<


    >Date: 29 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Niger Tornadoes ¨C Enugu Rangers<


    >Date: 29 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Wikki Tourist ¨C Doma United<


    >Date: 29 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Gombe United ¨C Nasarawa United<


    >Date: 29 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Shooting Stars ¨C El Kanemi Warriors FC<


    >Date: 29 Jan, 2023<


    ¡­


    (CAF Champions League!)


    (First preliminary round. Leg 1 of 2)


    >Enyimba Fc ¨C Zamalek<


    >Date: 31 Jan, 2023<


    With the sudden slot that was allocated to Enyimba FC in the CAF Champions League by the national association, though the club celebrated it, in essence, it also meant that their schedule just became a whole lot more packed up.


    And as a starting 11 yer of Enyimba FC, Sam became busy with it.


    For the next few days, he became so busy that he barely had time tomunicate with his parents though he still created time for it.


    Due to the presence of his fiery mom, it was mandatory that he called. Sam already set a daily reminder rm on his android phone.


    After consecutive training sessions across days, Enyimba FC finally weed the traveling Kwara United at home.


    In the Enyimba International Stadium, in front of their home fans, Enyimba FC put out another scintiting disy as they blew their opponents awaypletely by the end of 90 minutes, ending the game with a score line of 3-0.


    Against the highline of their opponents, Emeka was in form as he scored a brace in the game, the first in the 11th minute, and then in the 68th minute of the game, Austin assisted both goals.


    Sam also managed to chip in with a goal contribution, assisting the second goal of the game and increasing his season tally to 4 goals and 3 assists in just 4 games, an incredible tally of 7 goal contributions.


    In just 2 days, Enyimba FC yed again and this time, they weed Zamalek, the Egypt-based club to the Enyimba International Stadium to kick-off their CAF Champions league campaign.


    In this game, despite the little window of rest in-between, Sam yed again and without a doubt, it was the hardest game of his budding career.


    Zamalek SC proved a difficult challenge for Enyimba FC despite the fact that they were ying away from home as they yed scintiting football.


    After a tight scoreless game throughout 90 minutes, in the 90th plus 2 minute, Enyimba FC finally broke the deadlock through a Zamalek mistake.


    It was an own goal from their goalkeeper that pulled the game in Enyimba''s favor. The game ended 1-0.


    Enyimba FC started their CAF Champions league campaign with a victory though it was a close one.

 Chapter 44: A busy schedule [2]

    (Matchday 5:)


    >Remo Stars ¨C Enyimba<


    >Date: 1 Feb, 2023<


    ¡­


    (Matchday 6:)


    >Enyimba ¨C El Kanemi Warriors<


    >Date: 5 Feb, 2023<


    ¡­


    (CAF Champions League!)


    (First preliminary round. Leg 2 of 2)


    >Zamalek ¨C Enyimba FC<


    >Date: 7 Feb, 2023<


    Sam had no time to rest.


    The fact that Enyimba FC literally yed a game just yesterday, 31st January in the CAF Champions League and they were expected to y another professional football game the next day showed how disorganized the 2022/2023 season was.


    Coach Yemi Daniel didn''t have any choice though, his team still had to y. He had no authority over the match fixtures, his only authority ended in his team.


    For matchday 5 of the NPFL season, Coach Yemi Daniel finally pulled the plug on his squad, resting almost all his regr starting XI yers as he started with the Enyimba FC B team against Remo Stars at home.


    It was a risky decision but Coach Yemi Daniel already epted it, no matter the result of the game at the end.


    Just as was expected, without the regr starting XI yers on the pitch, the young Enyimba team suffered against Remo Stars as they failed to create any clear-cut chances on the pitch across the first 45 minutes.


    Surprisingly though, this young team also managed to keep a first half clean sheet as they impressed with their incredible work rate, and maybe some luck too.


    But their luck could only carry them so far.


    In the 66th minute of the second half, the Remo Stars pressure finally bore fruit as after some chaotic scrambling in the Enyimba FC box, the ball was finally pushed beyond the post into the.


    In the 66th minute, it was 1-0 to Remo Stars.


    As the game wore on, Enyimba FC tried to even matters to no avail. Coach Yemi Daniel made changes in the 75th minute, introducing Austin and Farouk, yet both yers were unable to turn the game on its head.


    Enyimba FC suffered its first defeat of the 2021/2022 season to Remo Stars, and Sam never got the opportunity to enter the pitch.


    Nobody questioned him though; Sam was just 17 years old.


    ying a teenager regrly in such a busy schedule was not rmended, in fact, it was foolish. It was important to manage Sam''s minutes so that he won''t fall victim to a terrible injury that may potentially ruin his career.


    No matter how good he was, he was still a developing young talent.


    Enyimba FC didn''t let the Remo Stars game linger in their minds though as 4 dayster, they hosted El Kanemi Warriors at home.


    In this game, since he was not able to do anything in the previous game, only watching from the bench, hungry to impress, impress was exactly what Sam did as he took the game by the scruff of the neck in front of the Enyimba FC home fans.


    Chipping in with a goal in the first half, he created an unreal assist in the second, and in a unanimous decision, Sam won his 3rd man of the match award of the season in just his 5th game.


    This took his tally for the season to 5 goals and 4 assists in just 5 games.


    He was already outperforming the best yers of the league.


    2 dayster, in their next game of the CAF Champions League which was against Zamalek at home, Sam finally left his home country, Nigeria for the first time in his life.


    The whole Enyimba FC squad traveled to Egypt by flight.


    Without doubt, it was the most memorable journey that Sam had ever enjoyed in his whole life and he did well to document the moment, creating countless videos with his phone and sending to his family.


    In a way, it also motivated him and made him more determined to perform.


    He could not travel all this way out of his country for the first time only to y rubbish, his pride wouldn''t let it.


    By now, he already knew why his system pulled strings so that Enyimba FC could participate in the CAF Champions league for the 2022/2023 season.


    Outside Africa, nobody paid attention to the Nigerian Professional Football League. No matter how much he performed in the league, he would always remain obscure unless he was granted a grander stage to perform.


    And this grander stage that his system gave him was the CAF champions league.


    If he could achieve his system season mission and help Enyimba FC win the CAF champions league, automatically, Enyimba FC would qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup which was an even grander stage to show his talent to the world.


    This was why Sam was extra motivated for this game since in the first leg, he couldn''t do much against the strong Zamalek despite ying at home.


    In this game, Sam truly felt the ire of the radical Zamalek supporters and their passion that created a palpable tension in this game.


    The game was a thriller.


    Of course, Coach Yemi Daniel started with his strongest lineup.


    Determined to win the game and progress to the next stage of thepetition in front of their home fans, Zamalek started strong as in just the 3rd minute, they whipped in a thunderous shot past Ojo.


    In just the 3rd minute, Zamalek was already ahead 1-0 and 1-1 on aggregate.


    Immediately after, led by Austin dapo, the Enyimba FC captain, they tried to assert their authority over the game but over time, this proved impossible as the experienced Zamalek team yed with grit, skill, and incredible passion.


    In the 21st minute of the game, they doubled their lead as their striker deservedly tapped in a close range shot to make it 2-0 in Zamalek''s favor.


    Zamalek was already leading in aggregate in their fiery stadium.


    It almost felt as if fate was determined to give Sam a reality check in the famed Cairo International Stadium, but Sam was unwilling to dance to the rhythm of fate. He was determined to defy fate!


    In the 2nd half, buoyed by the explosive half-time speech of their coach, Enyimba FC came roaring out like angry Lions and this time, they were led by their young and passionate attacking midfielder, Samuel Moses.


    In the 2nd half, Sam was back to his best, ying like a man possessed.


    He yed an incredible second half,pleting the most passes, winning the most tackles, winning aerial duels, and most importantly, being the piece of the puzzle as he yed the second passes that led to 2 incredible goals.


    The game ended 2-2 after fulltime.


    Sam didn''t get an assist or a goal, but his incredible performance definitely caught the eye and with the aggregate rule, Enyimba FC won 2-3.


    Sam won a CAF champions league man of the match award to his cab.

 Chapter 45: A busy schedule [3]

    Zamalek SC was a veteran of the CAF Champions League, renowned for regrly making deep runs in the tournament but unexpectedly, the underdogs, Enyimba FC managed to knock them out in just the first stage of the tournament.


    And it was the first in a series of impressive run for Enyimba FC.


    (Matchday 7:)


    >Gombe United ¨C Enyimba FC<


    >Date: 11 Feb, 2023<


    ¡­


    (Matchday 8:)


    >Enyimba FC ¨C Shooting Stars<


    >Date: 15 Feb, 2023<


    ¡­


    (Matchday 9:)


    >Bendel Insurance ¨C Enyimba FC<


    >Date: 19 Feb, 2023<


    ¡­


    (CAF Champions League!)


    (Second preliminary round. Leg 1 of 2)


    >mbeau du Centre - Enyimba FC<


    >Date: 21 Feb, 2023<


    Another few days of intense training after the victorious Zamalek game in Egypt, Sam lined up on the pitch with his teammates again, this time in away ground as they faced a tough test against Gombe United.


    Gombe United yed their game, bringing it to their opponents at home but in the end, the superior Enyimba FC team managed toe out on top with a narrow 1-2 win in Enyimba''s favor.


    For the 2nd consecutive game, Sam could not chip in with a goal contribution but his performances in the middle of the park remained eye-catching.


    4 dayster, they weed Shooting Stars at home, another opportunity for Sam to impress and he did not disappoint, chipping in with another assist to help his team win the game 2-0 in front of their home fans.


    This took his season tally to 5 goals and 5 assists in allpetitions.


    The busy schedule continued for Enyimba FC as again, in 4 days, they traveled to Bendel Insurance''s home ground for another away game.


    This time though, Coach Yemi Daniel was forced to make sacrifices with the uing CAF Champions League game in sight as he gave certain key yers like Emeka and Sam rest.


    Despite Austin starting this game and ying 70 minutes, he was unable to be the difference maker as Enyimba fell to their second defeat of the season, losing 1-0 against Bendel Insurance at home.


    Despite the result, they still satfortably at the top of the NPFL league table heading into leg 1 of the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions league. This time, they were to y in away ground first.


    And for the second time this year, Sam traveled to another country, this time to mbeau du Centre''s home in Burundi.


    Despite ying against their opponents at home, Enyimba FC put out an incredible disy as they managed to fight for domination over the game.


    In the 72nd minute, Emeka scored the only goal of the game from an unexpected Farouk assist.


    The game ended 0-1 in Enyimba FC''s favor and Emeka won the man of the match award.


    Despite the fact that Sam still didn''t get his first goal contribution of the CAF champions league, he still managed to put out an eye-catching disy in the middle of the park in away ground.


    After that game, the schedule didn''t lighten at all, only ramping up even more as Enyimba FC yed week in week out.


    To Sam, it was a grueling task but having expected it, he coped in the best way he could of course with the help of his system.


    Enyimba FC continued putting out eye-catching disys in the league as they dominated their opponents, maintaining their lead at the top of the league table while also showing that the national association didn''t make a mistake by giving them the slot in the CAF Champions League despite the bacsh that came with it at first.


    A weekter, on the 28th when they weed mbeau du Centre to the Enyimba International Stadium, they absolutely demolished the Burundi team in front of their home fans.


    And in this game, Sam finally set his name on fire in the CAF Champions League, announcing to the rest of Africa that Enyimba FC had a new star yer.


    In a 5-1 demolition, Sam won the man of the match award after scoring 2 goals and chipping in with an assist, 3 goal contributions in one match.


    With that, he took his tally for the season in allpetitions to 7 goals and 6 assists. He was not ying like a yer who just made his debut in professional football at all, in a sense, he was the best yer of Enyimba FC already.


    Coached by the astute Yemi Daniel, every training session, every game, Sam was soaking in the experience of game time despite how grueling it was as he improved by leaps and bounds as a football yer.


    He improved with the busy schedule, keeping Enyimba FC on top.


    Game after game, he kept on validating Coach Yemi Daniel''s decision to sign him and put him under such a paycheck despite his inexperience.


    Game after game, week after week, he showed his talent to the NPFL, and even in games that he didn''t get goal contributions, he yed well.


    And even in those rare situations when he had an off day on the pitch, Sam still managed to catch the eye due to his incredible work rate.


    He was a tireless horse on the field of y.


    A certain Mr. Moses was proud. "That''s my son!" He kept on saying after every single matchday of the NPFL.


    A certain Mrs. Moses was also proud. "Hehe, do you know my son is a professional football yer? He ys for Enima FC. Last month, he traveled to Burundi to y a game of football in one thing called champions league".


    "You mean Enyimba FC right?"


    "Ah! Yes".


    "Wow! Sam is really making waves already at such a young age. You''re lucky to have such a talented son".


    From don''t y football, Mrs. Moses was now the biggest fan and supporter of her son, silently pushing him through the grueling schedule. It was not easy for a 17-year-old to maintain such a demanding schedule.


    After the second preliminary round of the CAF Champions league, alongside the teams that already yed their preliminary roundsst year, Enyimba FC finally made it into the group stage and the draw was made.


    For their first group stage game, they yed against CR Belouizdad at home.


    Despite the fact that they yed the Algerian team at home, Enyimba FC had their first stumble in the CAF Champions league as they lost 1-0 to a resilient CR Belouizdad team that yed with energy and passion.


    In their second game of the group stage, they yed against Al-Merrikh, this time in away ground as they traveled to Sudan.


    For the second straight CAF Champions league game, Enyimba FC stumbled as they drew 0-0 in away ground against the Sudanese team.


    After these 2 results, like expected, the critics came hitting with force as they used the team of being weak, young, and inexperienced, foolish for relying on a teenager to carry them through the season.


    To Sam, it was harsh at first but he had support in form of his family, most especially his ever defiant mom.


    "The nerve of those bastards!" His mom was incensed. "When they were 17, what were they doing with their lives?"


    "I bet they were still begging for food in their dad''s wretched homes!"


    "Sam, my son, don''t listen to them, you''ve done more than enough already at your age and trust me, you''ll only grow to do more".


    From the biggest hater of football, over time, Mrs. Moses already underwent a big change. Sam felt at peace with this knowledge.


    He focused on his football, ignoring all the critics.


    At peace with himself, Sam continued living his busy life and in their next CAF Champions League game against ES Tunis, the Tunisian club still away from home, it finally showed though it was also a tough game.


    Enyimba FC drew the game 2-2 which was supposed to be disappointing if not for the fact that Enyimba was losing 2-0 for 80 minutes.


    In the final 10 minutes of the game, Sam went berserk, tearing the ES Tunis defense apart as he scored a goal in the 81st minute and assisted another in the 88th minute, dragging his team from the depths of defeat.


    The critics still talked but this time, Sam ignored it all.


    Their next CAF champions league group stage game was against ES Tunis again, but this time, it was finally a home game after 2-straight away games.


    To the Enyimba FC yers, ying another CAF home game was the best news that the goddess of luck could give to them.


    They could finally y at home in front of their fans again.

 Chapter 46: A busy schedule [4]

    Enyimba FC weed the Tunisian club to the fiery Nigerian atmosphere of Enyimba International Stadium, eager to exert some much-needed revenge after umting only a single point across 3 CAF Champions league group stage games.


    To Enyimba FC, it was a must win game. Losing directly meant that they would get stuck in the group stage of the CAF champions league, having failed to progress.


    The yers didn''t want that, the fans didn''t want that, Coach Yemi Daniel didn''t want that, and most importantly, Sam didn''t want that.


    FWEEEEE!


    From the first minute of the game, Sam moved with the strides of a man on a mission and today, he was indeed on a mission.


    Enyimba FC ran riot against the Tunisian team in front of their home fans, bolstered by their much improved midfieldpared tost season.


    A familiar name opened the scoring in the 37th minute of the game.


    Who else but Samuel Moses?


    "Sam!" "Sam!" "Sam!"


    The Enyimba FC fans roared at the top of their voices.


    This was already bing a familiar trend this season.


    Latching onto a cross from the left side of the pitch from Chijioke just outside the 18-yard box, Sam hit an incredible first-time volleyed shot.


    BAM!


    The ball flew like a rocket, literally leaving afterimages behind as it tore its way into the top left corner, absolutely rattling the!


    Running to the corner g while spreading his arms to acknowledge the adoration of his fans, Sam celebrated by dishing out the iconic suiii celebration.


    The whole stadium erupted, doing the celebration alongside him.


    Sam already became a fan-favorite in Enyimba FC.


    With that goal, the tempo was set as in the 45th plus 2 minute of the first half, Emekashed into a loose ball in the opposition 6-yard box, tapping it into the before the ES Tunis goalkeeper could react.


    With that, Enyimba FC ledfortably 2-0 by halftime.


    When the second half started, ES Tunis yed with more urgency, dead-set on forcing themselves back into the game but buoyed by the roars of their home fans, Enyimba FC dug in and yed dogged physical football.


    In the 66th minute, the game was finally put to bed as Austinunched an incredible outside the box shot into the top right corner of the, making it 3-0.


    The roar of the Enyimba FC fans reached a crescendo at this point.


    In the 72nd minute, Sam was subbed off by Coach Yemi Daniel to rest as he was treated to an explosive standing ovation by the Enyimba FC fans.


    ES Tunis got a constion goal at the 89th minute of the game but it did very little in turning the situation of the game around, only depriving Ojo of a clean sheet.


    At the end of the game, Austin won the man of the match award but in every one''s eyes, Sam was a very close second best yer of the game.


    Enyimba FC truly kicked off their CAF champions league campaign that evening. A weekter, they visited CR Belouizdad at home.


    Having lost to the Algerian team in the first leg despite ying at home, this was a grudge match and Enyimba FC was determined to get a result.


    During the first half, it didn''t seem so at first as the Algerian team set the tempo and quickly raced to a 2-0 lead at half-time.


    When the second half started though, like was characteristic of Enyimba in recent weeks, this tenacious Nigerian team came alive like a previously slumbering Dragon as they yed and ran their opponents ragged at home.


    And of course, like most Enyimba FC fans were already familiar with, Sam was at the center of most of what happened.


    Sam assisted Austin twice within the first 10 minutes of the second half, drawing his team back level and in the 80th minute, Emeka yed the hero, heading the ball in from a well-executed corner kick routine.


    Incredibly, the game ended 2-3 in Enyimba FC''s favor.


    Sam won the man of the match award.


    With that victory, they finally took their points tally in the group stage to 7 points, climbing from the bottom to joint second ce in their group table.


    After more league games, for theirst CAF Champions League group game, Enyimba FC hosted Al-Merrikh at home after a first leg away game where they drew 0-0 in their opponent''s home.


    It was thest game of the group stage, all 4 clubs in their group vied to get maximum points to see if they could squirm their way into the next stage of the tournament and Enyimba FC was no different.


    The game was another thriller and an emotional rollercoaster to the Enyimba FC home fans.


    In the first half, Enyimba FC raced to an early 2-goal lead as the fans were on a high till a lightning-quick 2 goals in 4 minutes from Al-Merrikh leveled the game.


    Both teams went to half-time with the score level.


    In the second half, the situation worsened when against the run of y, Al-Merrikh managed to sneak another shot past Ojo, making it 2-3 in their favor.


    The desperate Enyimba FC fans made their frustrations known to their yers through their loud noise, and their yers responded dutifully.


    In the 76th minute of the game, Victor Mbaomashed a goal past the Al-Merrikh goalkeeper, making it 3-3 and in the 83rd minute of the game, Sam aptly introduced his name into the score line, this time scoring with his head after a pass from Victor Mbaoma.


    After another impressive disy, he got his name on the scoresheet again.


    The ecstatic Enyimba FC fans did the ritual.


    "Sam!" "Sam!" "Sam!"


    They drowned the stadium with their loud voices, chanting his name at the top of their lungs as Sam celebrated euphorically.


    The game eventually ended 4-3 in Enyimba FC''s favor.


    And with that, they managed to clinch 2nd spot in their group, progressing to the next round of the CAF Champions league.


    Victor Mbaoma won the man of the match award for this intense game.


    Even after that game, the schedule didn''t lighten up for Enyimba FC as the FA Cup games also reared their head, entering the fray.


    And with that, Enyimba FC truly had a packed-up schedule.


    Despite the strain on the yers, somehow, Coach Yemi Daniel managed to coach his team, still putting out impressive performances as they stayed in all 3petitions that theypeted in.


    And finally, on 21st April 2023, the squad traveled to Algeria to y JS Kabylie for the first leg of their CAF champions league quarter final game.


    Just January, Sam kicked a ball professionally for the first time and yet in no time, he was already ying in the quarter final of the CAF champions league.


    How time flies¡­

 Chapter 47: Quarter-final; JS Kabylie vs Enyimba FC

    (CAF Champions League!)


    (Quarter-final fixtures:)


    >JS Kabylie ¨C Enyimba FC<


    >Date: 21 April, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Simba ¨C Wydad AC<


    >Date: 22 April, 2023<


    ¡­


    >CR Belouizdad ¨C Mamelodi Sundowns<


    >Date: 22 April, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Al Ahly ¨C Raja CA<


    >Date: 22 April, 2023<


    ¡­


    It was a cool Friday evening.


    After the preliminary stages and the group stage football, the CAF Champions League finally progressed directly to the quarter final stage since they didn''t have a round of 16 format in the tournament.


    The first game of the quarter finals was between Enyimba FC, the footballing giants of Nigeria and JS Kabylie.


    The 50,000 capacity Hocine Ait Ahmed Stadium, the home stadium of JS kabylie was almost packed to the brim with enthusiastic home supporters.


    Despite the fact that he was already ying professional football for 4 months already, faced against the hostile atmosphere created by so many fans gathered in one ce, Sam still felt the pressure.


    It was amplified pressure, but it was not too different from what he was regrly subjected to by Enyimba FC rivals in the Nigerian league.


    Sam grinned. ''It matters even more when I can do it in hostile atmospheres like these''.


    ''Come on, bring it on, I''ll show you who''s boss!''


    FWEEEEE!


    As soon as the referee''s whistle sounded, like the drum beats of war were just sounded, JS Kabylie took the battle to their opponents, dominating possession from the first minute andunching raids of attack on their box.


    With their home fans fervently behind them, it felt like they had an extra man on the field, an advantage that made Enyimba FC suffer.


    But this was the quarter final of the CAF Champions League, and Coach Yemi Daniel already expected his team to suffer. He warned them of it ahead of time, this was why Sam did notin.


    Maybe, during early January, Sam still hated defending but after 4 months of professional ying experience, though it was not much, Sam already gained enough experience to know that in some games, even he had to defend.


    And this game was one of those games.


    Sam was up for it though as putting hisbat boots on, he ran himself to the ground, chipping in with his incredible work rate in the middle of the park that was already bing one of his trademarks in every game.


    His stamina on a football pitch was seriously insane.


    Subjected to the roars of the home supporters, none of the Enyimba FC yers was able to y at their best, not even Sam, yet one thing he did do at his best was run himself to the ground.


    Sam was everywhere, winning tackles, intercepting passes, helping Farouk do his defensive job to perfection as all 3 midfielders shone in this game.


    Despite all of JS Kabylie''s dominance with the ball, the first half of this intense champions league game ended in a draw, 0-0.


    During half-time, Coach Yemi Danielmended his yers and said a few words to them, repeatedly telling them to keep their head in the game, try their best to ignore all the noise and try to y their best football.


    When the second half of this game started, that was exactly what Coach Yemi Daniel''s boys did on the pitch, doing a great job at keeping the rampaging JS Kabylie''s forwards at bay.


    Enyimba FC held the most sessful Algerian club in their home, showing how much this team improved alreadypared tost season.


    All across the Enyimba FC halfway line, there was yellow and green everywhere as the JS Kabylie yers flooded here in numbers yet the Enyimba FC yers maintained their defensive shape, putting in great work to keep the ball out.


    In the 69th minute of this game though, the situation finally changed.


    No one saw iting, it was a lightning-fast counterattack.


    Winning the ball back deep in his half, with his impressive spatial awareness, Sam scanned his surroundings, fending off a nefarious challenge from the nearest agitated JS Kabylie yer and then with his vision, he spotted the run.


    Since Enyimba FC was defending so deep, Emeka was left isted up field with a single JS Kabylie defender marking him and at this moment, this center forward started running as soon as his team won back possession.


    Sam spotted it, and without hesitation, he hit the ball up field.


    A tug of war between 2 hefty men started immediately.


    Against the tall and physical JS Kabylie center back, Emeka fought for the ball and in the end, he came out on top, outmuscling his marker as the center back copsed on the field helplessly.


    As the ball descended, Emeka calmly controlled it with hisp, brought it down before charging towards the Kabylie goalkeeper one-on-one.


    The center back could not recover,ying down as he stared, waiting for the oue. The Kabylie goalkeeper charged out but Emeka didn''t panic.


    Shifting his weight to the left, this center forward hit the ball with the inside of his right foot, calmly curling the ball past the goalkeeper and into the bottom right corner of the.


    The stadium was silenced.


    "GOALLL¡­!" Emeka celebrated exuberantly, charging towards the corner g before sliding on his knees in celebration.


    Sam got his 4th assist of this season''s CAF champions league, he was truly in terrific form.


    FWEEEE!


    When the referee''s whistle eventually sounded to continue y, the pressure from JS Kabylie increased exponentially as if fuel was poured into fire.


    Run after run, dribble after dribble, pass after pass, shot after shot, the yers in yellow and green threatened, creating one chance after the other but Ojo, the Enyimba FC no. 1 and goalkeeper was on top of his game.


    Against all odds that were stacked against them, Enyimba FC managed to hold on for the remaining 20 minutes of this game and additional time.


    Enyimba FC shocked the world, stealing the win from the Algerian giants in the first leg game of the quarter finals right in their backyard in front of their home fans. It was the greatest upset of the champions league so far.


    And again, a familiar name won the man of the match award, Samuel Moses.


    The name, Samuel Moses was already being broadcasted beyond Nigeria.


    Sam''s rise to the top was finally lifting up from its baby steps.

 Chapter 48: CAF champions league semi-finalists

    That incredible performance away from home truly put Enyimba FC in the sights of the spectators of the CAF Champions League.


    Despite the fact that the Nigerian team made it all the way to the quarter finals, nobody really paid attention to them more than necessary.


    To them, they were a team riding their luck who made it to the quarter finals only through a stroke of luck but in that quarter final game where most of the spectators of the CAF champions league spectated, they finally understood.


    This Enyimba FC team was not a team that just came for a bus ride through the CAF Champions League, they were a team that came to stay, and win.


    For the first time, after that performance, Enyimba FC this season were seen as genuine contenders for the CAF Champions League trophy.


    But it was still a long way to the final, and eventually the trophy itself, or so they thought. In reality, time moves so fast, almost like a mirage at times.


    While still maintaining impressive domestic form in the NPFL, a weekter, on Friday 28th April, Enyimba Fc weed JS Kabylie to their home in the Enyimba International Stadium for the return leg of their quarter final draw.


    (CAF Champions League!)


    (Quarter-final fixtures:)


    >Wydad AC ¨C Simba<


    >Aggregate: 0-1<


    >Date: 28 April, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Mamelodi Sundowns - CR Belouizdad<


    >Aggregate: 4-1<


    >Date: 29 April, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Raja CA ¨C Al Ahly<


    >Aggregate: 0-2<


    >Date: 29 April, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Enyimba FC ¨C JS Kabylie<


    >Aggregate: 1-0<


    >Date: 29 April, 2023<


    ¡­


    After an intense first leg of the quarter finals, only Mamelodi Sundowns and Enyimba FC entered the second leg of the quarter finals with a first leg advantage despite ying away from home the first time.


    They already had one leg in the semifinals of the CAF champions league.


    For the first time since Sam became an Enyimba FC professional football yer, he saw the Enyimba International Stadium filled to the brim with just fans.


    There were tens of thousands of fans present to spectate this game.


    Sam never expected to see a spectacle like this in Nigerian football. ''Damn! The CAF champions league really means a lot to them!''


    The sight of so many home supporters made his blood boil, he could feel goose pimples under his skin. Sam was even more determined to perform today.


    FWEEEE!


    And when the referee''s whistle finally sounded, the Enyimba FC yers came out ying with absolute confidence buoyed by the roars of their fans.


    For the first 10 minutes, they dominated.


    Unlike what they expected though, JS Kabylie didn''te with the intentions to lie down with their belly facing up in defeat, the Algerian giants came out with the wounds of their home defeat still fresh in their minds.


    These yers yed with incredible intensity despite the noise being made by the Enyimba FC fans, but the Enyimba FC yers also met them pound for pound.


    In the 37th minute, the game finally opened as from a corner kick, an Enyimba FC defender rose highest, heading the ball home to give his team the lead at home.


    Just 5 minutester though, in the 42nd minute of this football game, the Algerian giants stung back like a bee as after an incredible 16 pass sequence, they scored a well-worked team goal.


    Enyimba FC didn''t take that lying down though. In front of their home fans, they dug in even more and eventually, the goal they searched for came in thest minute of additional time in the first half.


    Austin dapo powered home another header after a cross from Victor Mbaoma, restoring his team''s lead.


    Enyimba FC went to half-time leading 2-1.


    Coach Yemi Daniel''s half-time speech was simple. "We''re already winning, don''t take any risks in the second half. You know how packed our schedule is, we can''t afford an injury to an important yer".


    "y safe, y cool-headed, and enjoy yourselves out there".


    When the second half eventually started, Enyimba FC switched to tiki-taka football as they heavily dominated possession even more in the second half.


    Their midfield 3 passed the ball in triangr patterns, toying with their opponents for majority of the half as JS Kabylie worked their socks off.


    Again, Sam was a dominant presence in the middle of the park.


    Despite JS Kabylie trying so hard though, they couldn''t break down their opponents in front of their home fans a second time and since they didn''t try too hard, Enyimba FC also failed to score a third goal.


    The second leg of the quarter final fixture ended 2-1 in Enyimba FC''s favor, 3-1 on aggregate.


    And with that, the quarter final fixtures were done and dusted.


    The results looked like this.


    (CAF Champions League!)


    (Quarter-final results:)


    >Wydad AC 1-0 Simba<


    >Aggregate: 1-1, Wydad AC wins 4-3 on penalties<


    >Date: 28 April, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Mamelodi Sundowns 2-1 CR Belouizdad<


    >Aggregate: 6-2<


    >Date: 29 April, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Raja CA 0-0 Al Ahly<


    >Aggregate: 0-2<


    >Date: 29 April, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Enyimba FC 2-1 JS Kabylie<


    >Aggregate: 3-1<


    >Date: 29 April, 2023<


    ¡­


    (Semifinal fixtures:)


    >Enyimba FC ¨C Al Ahly<


    >Date: 12 May, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Wydad Ac ¨C Mamelodi Sundowns<


    >Date: 13 May, 2023<


    ¡­


    "Austin, you''re the captain of Enyimba FC. What are your thoughts about your team''s performance today?"


    Austin wiped the sweat off his face, breathing heavily. "Well, the result speaks for itself. With a packed stadium, we have no choice but to y our best football to reward the fans". He chuckled.


    "It''s seriously impressive that your team managed to beat JS Kabylie, they were once touted as favorites to win the CAF tournament this year. And in contrast, Enyimba FC was never one of the favorites".


    "Your club didn''t even qualify, the national association helped, what do you think about this peculiar situation?"


    "Well, if I have to say anything, I''d say fortune favors the bold". Austin grinned. "Our critics talked, our haters talked, but it doesn''t matter, what matters is what we y on the pitch and we did the talking with our football today".


    "Austin, you scooped another man of the match award again," this female reporter smiled for the first time. "How do you feel?"


    Austin smiled back at her. "I feel great. It helps a lot when you have such a talented and understanding teammate helping you contest for the midfield battle".


    "Honestly, with Sam, I feel that this team can do anything".


    "Since you mentioned it, Samuel Moses, your team''s newest signing and star, what do you have to say about the teenager?"


    Hearing that question, Austin grinned cheekily, and then he leaned closer to the microphone. "Remember the name, Samuel Moses, the boy''s destined for the top!"


    The reporter chuckled. "Well, congrattions once again on your victory captain fantastic, do have a nice day".


    "Thank you too, Ms. Reporter". Austin smiled.


    And with that, a great champions league match day came to an end.


    Enyimba FC were CAF Champions League semi-finalists.

 Chapter 49: A fathers support

    In his room in the guest quarters provided by his club,ying down on his bed, Sam looked up at the ceiling, paying attention to the rotating ceiling fan.


    He had a lot of things on his mind.


    5 months ago, he yed his first football as a professional football yer. Compared to that time, Sam had experienced a lot of things, mostly highs since his footballing career had been smooth-sailing so far.


    Despite all these though, he had a trauma that remained stuck at the back of his mind. Even in his dreams, Sam still had shbacks to 12th May, 2018, the day he suffered the horror ankle injury that initially doomed his football career.


    With the Ultimate Football System, Sam already learned to forget about a lot of his insecurities but still, he knew that this was real life.


    And experience already taught him that in real life, there are always ups and downs. ''It''s only been ups so far; I wonder when the low will eventuallye''.


    ''And when it doese, will I be ready for it?'' He thought.


    Somehow, against all odds, his club, Enyimba FC made it all the way to the semi-finals of the CAF champions league already, no one saw iting.


    ''Will Al Ahly be our roadblock?'' He thought. ''Honestly, despite the high expectations that were set by the system with the season system goal, I never expected that we could make it this far''.


    ''Considering how Enyimba performedst season and with me being the only true significant business they did in the transfer market,'' he grinned to himself. ''That means I''m really good, right?'' He chuckled, feeling mischievous.


    Despite his thoughts at this moment though, Sam could not stay optimistic. ''Can we keep it going?'' He was lost in his thoughts.


    ''What if I get injured in the next game?''


    ''What if Austin gets injured?''


    ''Can we keep on going? Besides, the pressure of a major semi-final, will we be able to ovee it to perform at our best?''


    All these thoughts and more went through Sam''s mind, weighing him down till he was distracted by the sound of his android phone.


    Ring! Ring!


    Looking to the side of his bed where the drawer was, where he kept his phone, he looked at the screen to know the caller.


    (Iing call from My Superman¡­)


    Sam did not hesitate as immediately rolling over, he picked the call. It was a call from his dad.


    "Hey man," the voice from the other end echoed. "How are you?"


    "Hey dad, I''m good".


    "Are you sure?"


    "Yeah".


    "But the tone of your voice tells me a different story".


    Sam stayed silent.


    "I gave you a day to return from Egypt before making this call. I know that this is the only time you''ll be free to receive my call. Don''t worry, I have a lot of time in my hands, I''m not at home, I''m taking a stroll so you can talk to me".


    Sam opened his mouth to speak but no words came out, he didn''t know what to say so in the end, he stayed silent.


    Mr. Moses was patient. "Don''t worry, I understand. You know, your mom doesn''t know but when I was your age, I also aspired to y professional football".


    He chuckled. "I never got to your level of ying professionally but I did y a few grudge matches. I once yed in a grudge match between Abraka and Orogun and boy, you had to see the tension in that game".


    "Having beaten us thest time, we were determined to win by all means and son, I''ll tell you this now, in those type of games, skill matters less than will". Heughed. "Damn, this takes me back to the days man".


    "In that game, whenever the ball got to me, I felt like I suddenly lost all my footballing ability as the opponentse for you first before the ball".


    "It''s almost like a game of wrestling than it is a game of football".


    "It''s scary, but it also has this touch of excitement to it".


    "Man, it''s exhrating!"


    "But at the same time, the pressure gets to you. It''s one reason why you can''t perform at your best, all you have to do is try your best".


    Mr. Moses stayed silent for a few seconds, letting those words sink into his son''s head and then, in a softer tone, he continued. "Son, you just made it to the semi-finals of the CAF champions league".


    "I always wanted my son to y football, achieve the dream I couldn''t achieve but not even in my wildest dreams did I expect you to reach this level so fast, and in such a short time".


    "The critics may not say it yet, they may not appreciate you and your teammates'' efforts yet but to me, son, you already overachieved".


    "Like, honestly, who expected any Nigerian team to perform this well in the CAF Champions league?"


    "Not even teau United, the other Nigerian team who qualified was able to get near the quarter finals but here you are, in the semi-finals".


    "Sam, your sister may not say it yet but she''s your fan girl already".


    "And do you know how many Nigerian girls like her already fell in love with you and your football?" Mr. Moses grinned cheekily. "You''re a star already son, a star on its way to global stardom".


    "I may not exactly know how you''re feeling at this moment, but just know this". Mr. Moses took a deep breath. "In that game, I am 100% behind you no matter the result, including your mom and sister".


    "Don''t let the critics get to you, don''t let anyone, only let our support get to you, let it be your strength".


    "And no matter the result," Mr. Mosesughed again. "Keep your head high Sam, you yed your best football, believe that".


    "Andstly, I love you son".


    Mr. Moses didn''t cut the call, he stayed patient, waiting for Sam who never said a word since. And finally, Sam spoke.


    "Thank you dad," he hesitated, then added. "This really means a lot".


    "Anytime Sam, I''m your dad".


    And with that, they ended the call.


    That night, having forgotten about how he was feeling just a moment ago, Sam stood up from his bed and started working out.


    Motivation came from nowhere.

 Chapter 50: Semifinal battle against the Egyptian giants, Al Ahly [1]

    Sam may have had a lot of thoughts that bothered him before, but the call from his dad was the magic, helping him shelve all the worries in his mind.


    And with all the worries gone, he could focus on his football.


    And this time, the focus was narrowed on one game, the semi-final game of the CAF champions league that would take ce against the Egyptian footballing giant, Al Ahly in 12 days.


    For the next few days, putting in even more work alongside his captain as their friendship grew, the games continueding.


    And with the team in such terrific form, as the schedule came, so did they tick the games away with outstanding results.


    Enyimba FC was still in ferocious form in the league, maintaining monopoly over the league table top all the way from January despite their exploits in the champions league also eating into their time and preparations.


    After 2 more impressive results in the league, time moved fast and in no time, it was the D-day, semi-final day was here.


    Coach Yemi Daniel did well to rest his yers in the game leading to the semi-final, the semi-final took precedence over every other game.


    That day, Sam called his best friend for the first time in a while. They talked about a lot of things, but he ended the call with just one demand. "Watch me today Ian, today is my moment and I''m going to seize it".


    Ian grinned and nodded at his best friend. "I believe you".


    Today''s game was to be yed in Enyimba FC''s home stadium.


    When the time came, alongside his teammates, Sam walked into the pitch of the Enyimba International Stadium as they were weed by the loud roar of their fans. The loud roar of the proud Enyimba FC fans was deafening.


    To any Nigerian football club, making it to the quarter-finals of the CAF champions league was an achievement to be proud of, not to talk of the semi-finals.


    The fans felt on top of the world and it showed from the noise.


    After the toss of a coin by the referee, it was determined that Al Ahly would kick off the game and without hesitation, on the ref''s signal, the gamemenced.


    FWEEEE!


    From the first minute of the game, one thing became clear, the Egyptian giants didn''te to Nigeria to y conservative football.


    Al Ahly came with the arrogant confidence of a team that regrly made to theter stages of the CAF Champions league. In this game, Enyimba FC were the underdogs and Al Ahly yed like it.


    Despite this arrogant boldness though, the Enyimba yers did not let themselves get intimidated by it, all of them yed their football.


    Their terrific form since the beginning of the season already imbued these yers with confidence, and even against Al Ahly, they yed their best football.


    A few yers were in form on this day, buoyed by the loud voices of the home fans, and 2 names dominated, Austin dapo and Samuel Moses.


    In the middle of the park, this duo yed incredible football,plementing it with an unreal work rate as they helped Enyimba wrestle for superiority against the mighty Al Ahly in the midfield battle.


    For the first 30 minutes of the game, it remained tight, no one creating clear cut chances yet as both teams locked down the midfield.


    Yet, as the game grew on, the chants increased.


    "Sam!" "Sam!" "Sam!"


    "Austin!" "Austin!" "Austin!"


    And as the chants increased, the chemistry in the middle of that pitch increased as Sam and Austin simultaneously entered the zone state.


    And with it, Enyimba FC finally started dominating possession.


    Tiki-taka¡­, these 2 midfielders rotated in the middle of the pitch, ying short passes, dragging the Al Ahly formation left and right as they dictated y till in the 38th minute, a pass from Austin cut Al Ahly open.


    Emeka ran through one-on-one with the Al Ahly goalkeeper but this man was on top of his game, producing an unreal save to deny the Enyimba center forward.


    The first clear cut chance of the game was from Enyimba FC.


    In the stands, the fans screamed in frustration.


    Shortly after that sequence of y though, Al Ahly finally seemed to switch on as these yers started running everywhere round the pitch, trying their best to impose themselves in their opponent''s home.


    Despite the immense work rate and several impressive disys in the first half, the game ended with a first half draw 0-0.


    FWEEEE!


    Once second half started though, the situation changed, Enyimba FC changed. Their formation didn''t change, only the intensity.


    As if they switched to an all-out attacking formation, multiple Enyimba FC yers bombed down the Al Ahly half buoyed by the loud roars of their fans as theyunched attacking raid after raid on the opposition box.


    And finally, in the 62nd minute, the deadlock was broken, by a familiar name.


    Receiving a cutback pass from his winger just outside the box, in the zone state already, Sam took one delicate touch to control the ball before rifling it with his powerful right leg into the bottom left corner.


    The goalkeeper dived but he stood no chance.


    In the 62nd minute, Enyimba FC finally scored, courtesy of a moment of individual brilliance from their star midfielder.


    "GOALLL¡­!" Sam pumped his fists in the air, celebrating excitedly.


    FWEEE!


    Once the game restarted though, Al Ahly came roaring out like Dragons, no longer content in sitting back and defending in the second half.


    Exactly 10 minutester, in the 72nd minute of this game, the Egyptian giants finally stung as their number 10. Scored a simr goal to Sam''s, rifling an incredible outside the box shot into the bottom left corner.


    "GOALLLL¡­!" The Al Ahly yers celebrated exuberantly.


    The game restarted as Enyimba FC kept on pushing for the winner, buoyed by their fans. Against Al Ahly, it was hard but their will prevailed in the end.


    In the 84th minute of the game, it was another moment of individual brilliance. After ying a series of one-two passes with his captain just right outside the box, Sam dribbled into the Al Ahly box with deadly intent.


    Opposition yers swarmed him but undaunted, Sam weaved his way through them using body feints, his physicality, and quick feet like a rugby yer forcing his way through opponents.


    And then, after prating deep enough, just as the Al Ahly goalkeeper charged out to meet him, Sam hit the ball left into empty space, the only empty space now inside the 6-yard box.


    Having followed him throughout their time of ying one-two passes, Austin stayed running and at this moment, this midfielder got a free tap-in goal.


    Bam!


    The rippled.


    "GOALLL¡­!" Austin celebrated loudly, feeling on top of the world as he pointed at Sam before jumping on his body excitedly.


    They Enyimba FC fans celebrated wildly, they''ve won the game.


    But when the game restarted, just a minute after that first goal, the Al Ahly left winger bombed down the pitch before throwing a teasing cross in.


    The ball floated above all the Enyimba FC yers to the midfielder lurking at the right, this yer unleashed a lethal volleyed shot at goal!


    Bam!


    Ojo, the Enyimba FC goalkeeper was rooted to the spot, only watching as the ball zoomed past him and into the.


    Goal¡­!


    2-2!


    The semi-final first leg game was a total thriller, it ended 2-2 as Sam scooped up the man of the match award after his incredible performance.

 Chapter 51: Semifinal battle against the Egyptian giants, Al Ahly [2]

    (Semifinal first leg results:)


    >Enyimba FC 2-2 Al Ahly<


    >Date: 12 May, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Wydad Ac 0-0 Mamelodi Sundowns (Red Card)<


    >Date: 13 May, 2023<


    ¡­


    (Semifinal second leg fixtures:)


    >Al Ahly - Enyimba FC<


    >Date: 19 May, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Mamelodi Sundowns ¨C Wydad AC<


    >Date: 20 May, 2023<


    ¡­


    After 2 thrillers on back to back days, the result of the first leg of the CAF Champions league was decided. Mamelodi Sundowns got a red card in their game, only settling for a 0-0 draw against Wydad away from home.


    The first game was more exciting though. Despite the fact that Enyimba FC could only settle for a draw, the game was incredibly exciting.


    After the first leg, exactly 7 dayster, the second leg would be yed.


    After the game, Sam learned something. ''No matter how much you want it, sometimes, ying good alone is not enough to win a game''.


    Sam was dead tired after the game having run himself to the ground.


    He chipped in with a goal and an assist but his man of the match award was not due to just that. Sam put his all into that game, determined to help his team win at home but in the end, Al Ahly managed to snatch a draw from them.


    Sam was disappointed, but his disappointment only made him more motivated. ''What matters is that I yed my best game, and that I must improve before the second leges''.


    90% of Coach Yemi Daniel''s training and tactical set-ups in the next few days were targeted at the second leg game, trivializing the league match.


    Enyimba FC ended up losing the league match but no one really paid attention to it, all their sights were on the CAF champions league return leg game.


    Diligently, 2 midfielders trained during this time, refusing to give in to fatigue orziness. Sam truly exceeded his limit in training alongside Austin this time.


    If they were to stand a chance at beating Al Ahly away from home, they needed a miracle and this time, both were determined to be the miracle.


    Both midfielders motivated each other to train like hell.


    And like this, the days moved swiftly like the rolling pages of a book and before they knew it, it was the D-day again.


    Traveling to Egypt, visiting the Cairo International Stadium, the Enyimba FC yers were subjected to the true horror of a hostile stadium.


    The 75,000 capacity stadium was filled to the brim with passionate Al Ahly fans, and at this moment, they roared their team on, suppressing Enyimba FC.


    A sight that warmed Sam''s heart in this hostile stadium though was the sight of the Enyimba FC fans in the away stands.


    Austin was emotional. "This is the first time I''m seeing our fans travel internationally to watch our football game. Sam, we must win!"


    Sam nodded seriously. "We will".


    After the yers arranged themselves across the pitch, the game started.


    FWEEEE!


    Immediately, Al Ahly exerted their authority as the superior team.


    Within the first 5 minutes of the game, they already created 2 chances as they easily breached the Enyimba FC defense and tested Ojo twice but the Enyimba FC goalkeeper was somehow on top of his game despite the palpable tension.


    By keeping his team in the game, he gave his outfield yers the time to settle and once they did, 2 yers exerted their authority in this game.


    In this hostile stadium, literally all the Enyimba FC yers seemed to have disappeared, except Austin and Sam.


    Together in the middle of the pitch, these 2 midfielders felt like warriors stuck in enemy territory but with their back against each other''s, with full trust in each other''s support, they fought valiantly.


    Their valiant fight could only take them so far though.


    In the 21st minute of the game, Al Ahly stung like a bee as after a well-executed corner routine helped by some poor defending from the Enyimba FC backline, the ball ended up in the back of the Enyimba FC.


    "F*ck!" Sam screamed and mmed his fists against the pitch as he watched the Al Ahly yers whirl off away in celebration.


    The captain, Austin was just as furious as him. "What the hell guys!" Austin roared at his teammates. "How can you switch off in a game like this?!"


    "We''re ying Al Ahly for God''s sake!"


    "This is the CAF champions league semi-final, we can''t afford to switch off in a game like this!" He pped his palms aggressively. "Come on guys!"


    "Come on, believe! We can do it!"


    FWEEEE!


    Once the game restarted, Al Ahly won back possession and reasserted their authority but Enyimba FC held their nerves, ying as a team and defending valiantly as a unit.


    Al Ahly kept on knocking for 45 minutes but Enyimba FC stayed tight and defensively disciplined, and then, they had their first shot on target of the game.


    Al Ahly almost doubled their lead only for the ball to rattle off the crossbar.


    Pouncing on the loose ball deep in his half, Sam scanned his surroundings with his spatial awareness before evading a challenge.


    Immediately after, he raised his head and saw the Al Ahly goalkeeper slightly off his lines.


    "¡­!" Sam''s instincts tingled!


    He felt a deep sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, this was it!


    He had been in this situation before, not once, not twice, he recognized it.


    Sam raised his leg to shoot but an Al Ahly yer blocked him. Instead of dribbling, he passed the ball to the right. Austin was there.


    The ball barely moved when another pass was made, one-two¡­, Austin hit the ball right back to Sam.


    Having seen the Al Ahly goalkeeper''s positioning already, Sam did not even think, hitting the ball first-time with a ferocious shot.


    BAM!


    The ball rose into the air like a missile, dipped as the Al Ahly goalkeeper retreated, before dipping into an empty, in the 45th plus 4 minute of the first half, literally thest minute.


    "GOALLLL¡­!" Sam jumped, roaring as he pumped a fist defiantly at the Al Ahly fans that had been trying to get into his head since.


    The fiery Al Ahly fans responded with a chorus of boos but Sam didn''t care, he already got his first revenge.


    The first half ended 1-1.


    The game was tight.

 Chapter 52: An unforgettable second half

    Breathing heavily, with a serious look in his eyes, Sam paid attention to his coach as he addressed his yers animatedly.


    "Victor, Chijioke, give up on trying to beat their fullbacks one-on-one every time, it''s not effective. Those boys are just too good at one-on-one defending".


    "Instead, whenever you get the chance, cut the ball back into the middle, into the running paths of either Samuel or Austin".


    "I want the ball to get to them more often".


    "If you don''t know what to do with the ball, pass to either of them. If you''re in danger of losing possession, pass to them".


    "If you''re in the box and you''re not confident of scoring, pass to them".


    Coach Yemi Daniel didn''t join his yers on the field, but at this moment, he was sweating even more than they did as he addressed them.


    He focused on his center forward. "Emeka, continue putting all your effort into the physical battle against their defenders. Keep on dragging them out of position, be the decoy for your teammates to shine".


    "I know you don''t like this role, I''m sorry, but for the team, do it".


    "To win this game, we need to make sacrifices".


    "Yes coach".


    Coach Yemi finally paid attention to his 2 star midfielders. "As you can tell, they''re targeting both of you already. Getting a few fouls from them is good, but don''t overdo it, I don''t want any of you 2 getting injured, that will be disastrous".


    "Most importantly of all, enjoy yourselves out there".


    "Yes coach".


    FWEEEEE!


    When the second half started, Cairo International Stadium was louder than ever. The Al Ahly fans were bullish, they were dissatisfied with the current situation on the pitch, they wanted their team to win and to do it fast.


    Buoyed by the unrelenting loud noise being made by their fans, the Al Ahly yers upped their game, running all over the pitch and this was when Sam discovered a shocking reality.


    One Al Ahly yer was tasked with marking him in the 2nd half.


    Personally, as the game wore on, to Sam, it became incredibly taxing to function with a yer always breathing down his neck but at the same time, this became even more validation and motivation for him.


    Being man-marked only meant that the opposition team recognized his threat. To Sam, that was close to the greatest validation he could receive on a pitch.


    It motivated him to perform even more.


    His incredible stamina reared its head like a monster as he dragged his marker left and right all over the pitch, making this yer suffer.


    Despite his incredible performance still in the midfield battle alongside his captain, Al Ahly remained the dominating team and their dominance finally paid off 15 minutes after the start of the second half.


    In the 60th minute of the game, after a dangerous cross into the box, there was some scrambling before a yer jumped acrobatically, unleashing an unexpected overhead kick ball as the ball fell into an empty.


    "GOALLLL¡­!" Mohamed Sheriff, the Al Ahly striker rose to his feet as he celebrated his goal with pure euphoria.


    The Enyimba FC yers were deted but not for long. In the second half, they were ying well, just not good enough.


    They simply needed to improve.


    Standing in the touchline, a sweating Coach Yemi Daniel pped his hands aggressively as he motivated his yers. "Come on, we''re still in the game!"


    On the pitch, Sam scanned the Al Ahly yers, lost in his thoughts. ''I can''t afford to lose now, not aftering this far''.


    ''I can''t afford to lose¡­, I can''t afford to lose!''


    ''I must win!''


    To Sam, this was definitely the most difficult game of his life. The quality of their opponents was unlike anything he had seen in the NPFL since he started his professional career, they were a level above.


    It was hard, but the harder it was, the more he wanted to win.


    His eyes gleamed. ''This is my moment; I must seize it!''


    FWEEEEE!


    When the game restarted, Enyimba FC tried their best to get back in the game led by Austin as marked by the Al Ahly yer, despite his incredible work rate, Sam struggled to do much on the ball.


    Enyimba FC could only try though, the Al Ahly yers buoyed by their fans put in just as much work as the Enyimba FC yers did, also determined to win.


    They kept on dominating this titanic battle in their home ground.


    This game no longer felt like a game of football. Rather it felt like a diator battle, with the stadium being the coliseum, and the 22 yers on the pitch being the diators who must fight to the death for glory.


    As the game drew closer to the death, the tension increased and with it, fouls became more frequent.


    The referee handed out yellow cards left and right.


    The physicality of this game increased as the yers did everything they could to retain control over the ball, and do something to damage their opponents.


    Despite how much Enyimba FC tried, in the end, it was Al Ahly who came closest to scoring again simultaneously in the 83rd and 85th minute of the game.


    The longer the game wore on, drawing closer to the death, even as his teammates became agitated and frustrated, in contrast, Sam became calmer with it. It was eerie, almost as if he was a robot that could not feel.


    With every touch, Sam''s game became more ruthless, more efficient, and more devoid of unnecessary movements.


    Having tried everything in his arsenal and not working, Sam already epted that to win, he must improve.


    That was why he was trying to evolve in the dying minutes of this game.


    5 months of professional football experience, plus the rewards of his system, plus his own training experience, at this moment, Sam broke his football technique down, remolding everything from the scratch again so he could evolve it.


    Every touch of the ball, every pass, every feint, he took everything in with greater rity till, in the 90th minute, it finally clicked.


    Receiving the ball in the halfway line, Sam did a body feint, evaded an Al Ahly yer challenge before crossing the ball to the right where Victor ran. It was a pin-point over the top pass as Victor controlled the ball in his strides.


    This time, Victor managed to dribble his marker, cutting the ball back just as his coach instructed as Sam trapped this ball just outside the Al Ahly 18-yard box.


    "BOOOO¡­!" The Al Ahly supporters drowned him in boos but Sam didn''t hear any of it, having entered the zone state already.


    A leg stuck out, and instantaneously, Sam''s leg moved, hitting the ball.


    He nut-megged the first yer that came for him, skipping past his challenge into the 18-yard box. As more yers came, with an effortless body feint, he evaded both yers, letting them collide against each other in their own box.


    It was pure chaos.


    Whoosh!


    A sliding tackle came but with a croqueta, Sam prated deeper into the opposition box, somehow still remaining on his feet even as his marker subtly tugged at his shirt from behind. Sam refused to fall to the pitch.


    As another yer charged in, he used a roulette skill to spin again to the right and just before the ball could roll out for a goal kick, he trapped it with the heel of his foot before using his back heel to kick it back into the box.


    Sam didn''t kick this ball randomly though. With his spatial awareness, despite all the yers in this box at this moment, he was still able to pinpoint the yer with which he had the most chemistry, Austin.


    As the ball rolled back, most of the Al Ahly yers caught off-guard, Austin tried to shoot the ball on his first touch as the Al Ahly goalkeeper dived.


    It was a feint though, Austin passed to his unmarked center forward.


    Isted at the left corner of the 6-yard box, despite the pass being unexpected even for him, Emeka''s reflex helped him tap the ball into the empty in the 90th minute of the game, a perfect poacher''s goal.


    At thest minute, Enyimba FC equalized!


    "GOALLLL¡­!" Emeka screamed at the top of his lungs.


    2-2¡­, the game was tied again!


    The fulltime whistle came shortly after.


    Extra time came as both coaches made a few changes, bringing in fresh legs but Sam and Austin remained on the pitch. Sam''s legs were now as heavy as lead but sheer willpower kept him going.


    Both teams had their moments in extra time but none was able to score again. And after 120 minutes of incredible football, the referee''s whistle sounded.


    FWEEEE!


    The game went to penalties!

 Chapter 53: A penalty shoot-out; glory or defeat?!

    FWEEEEE!


    The game went to penalties!


    Badump! Badump!


    Standing in the middle of the pitch, Sam could feel his heart beating rapidly against his chest, both from exhaustion and the tension of this moment.


    Unlike in the open game where the yers had full control over the proceedings on the pitch, a penalty was more or less a gamble, a toss of a coin that neither teams had full control over.


    ''Is this it?'' Sam thought but he rebuked the thought immediately. ''We''re still in the game,'' he thought, taking a deep breath.


    ''Calm down, take a deep breath¡­, we''re still in it''.


    ''We can still win, believe it!'' He pumped himself and before he knew it, his blood was already burning hot again, all distractions abstracted from his mind.


    Standing beside the young midfielder, Austin dapo wiped the sweat off his face with his hand, also breathing heavily.


    This captain''s heart was beating even faster than the teenager. Unlike Sam who was most probably uninformed, as an experienced Enyimba FC yer, he knew the true gravitas of this moment.


    In the whole history of Nigerian football, only Enyimba FC has ever managed to win the CAF Champions league during the prime period of the club between the 2003 and 2004 football seasons.


    Enyimba FC imed the title the first time in 2003, defeating Ismaily SC of Egypt, making them the first and only Nigerian club to win the prestigious African tournament.


    A yearter, in 2004, they sessfully defended the title, winning the title consecutively by defeating Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia.


    ''Can we do it again this year?'' Austin thought, tensed. ''Can we create more history for Enyimba FC as the best club in Nigeria?'' He felt hyped for.


    ''Can we write our name in the book of legends of Enyimba FC?''


    This captain gritted his teeth. ''I certainly hope so, I want to be a legend!'' He looked in the direction of his coach.


    Just like his yers, Coach Yemi Daniel was also feeling the tension of this moment even as the noise being made by the Al Ahly fans already reached a crescendo, rising through the roof of this stadium.


    The noise was deafening.


    And under this noise, Coach Yemi Daniel fidgeted, walking up and down along the touchline as he paid keen attention to the proceedings on the pitch.


    After a short break, the referee finally led the yers back into the pitch where another toss of a coin was used to decide on which of the 2 goalposts in the stadium will be used to take the penalty shootout.


    After the coin toss, the Al Ahly goal post was decided on.


    All the yers walked towards that post. As they walked, under the deafening sounds made by the home fans, the Enyimba FC yers felt like pigs being taken to the ughter, but they were definitely not obedient pigs.


    Heck, they were not just obedient pigs, they were as stubborn as goats, defiant, determined to spoil the night for Al Ahly, their fans, and all of Egypt.


    Thud!


    With every step that Sam took, the more the tension of the moment left him, reced by an incredible level of focus and determination.


    Enyimba FC was to take the first penalty. Coach Yemi already designated his penalty takers, instructing Austin to take the first penalty but as soon as they got there, Sam walked up to his captain. "I want to take the first penalty".


    Austin paused, looking at the teenager. Immediately, he could tell that the look in the boy''s face already changed. "Are you sure?"


    Sam simply nodded.


    "Are you confident?"


    Sam grinned.


    That was all that Austin needed to see. "Ok". He nodded.


    When Sam picked up the ball, walking towards the 6-yard box, on the touchline, Coach Yemi Daniel was losing it. "What are they doing?!"


    While the coach was dying in frustration, the Al Ahly fans were dining.


    "BOOOOO¡­!"


    "BOOOOO¡­!"


    They drowned Sam in boos but with a subtle smile on his face, Sam ignored it all as he walked up to the penalty spot, ced the ball down and looked at the goal. The goalkeeper was saying a few things but he didn''t even hear him.


    Sam didn''t pay attention to the goalkeeper, only the goal.


    FWEEE!


    Immediately after the referee''s whistle sounded, Sam jogged sideways to the left before closing in on the ball. After closing in, he hit it with the inside of his right boot with all the power that he could muster.


    POW!


    The shot was thunderous! The Al Ahly goalkeeper dived the right way to the right but the shot was too high and too powerful, he stood no chance as the ball tore into the top right corner of the with incredible power!


    The Cairo International Stadium was briefly silenced.


    Sam jogged towards the corner of the goal post, staring the Al Ahly fans down who were behind the post. "Come on!" He roared at them.


    "BOOOO¡­!" The fans responded, their boos even more deafening now.


    By that provocative action, Sam added fuel to fire, putting the ignition to make this already fiery game even more fiery.


    To Enyimba FC though, it set the tempo of confidence. Austin heaved a big sigh of relief as he hugged Sam on his way back. "Good job". Hemended, a slight smile now on his face.


    The home fans became even louder, the tension increased even more.


    The first Al Ahly penalty taker, their striker stepped up before sending Ojo the other way, coolly slotting into the bottom right corner.


    1-1


    Emeka walked up next for Enyimba FC, unleashing another powerful shot that beat the goalkeeper despite the fact that he dived the right way again.


    1-2.


    Another Al Ahly yer stepped up, he scored again. 5 yers stepped up for both teams, including Austin, scoring 5 consecutive times each. The score was tied 5-5, and by now, the tension was at a tipping point.


    Every penalty taker that stepped up could feel its palpable weight pressing down on them like a mountain, forcing them mentally to make a mistake.


    The yers of both teams managed to persevere through the pressure though, riding the momentum of their first penalty takers.


    The 6th yer of both teams took their penalty, scored, including the 7th, 8th, and eventually the 10th yer stepped up.


    The score line was 10-10.


    The tension in the Cairo International Stadium was suffocating!


    Now, it was time for the goalkeepers to step up. Ojo stepped up first, heart beating fast, fingers sweaty from the tension but this goalkeeper managed to do it, sending the Al Ahly keeper the wrong way to score his team''s 11th penalty goal.


    The noise in this stadium died down again, creating a serene atmosphere for their goalkeeper and unknowing to the fans, the sudden silence affected him even more as this goalkeeper stepped up to take his penalty shot.


    FWEEEE!


    After the whistle, this goalkeeper took longer than normal to make his run, constantly looking at the post and when he finally jogged and shot, Ojo read him like a book, diving towards the right.


    It was a tame shot, weak andcking technique.


    Ojo didn''t have to do much, his body parried the ball away, preventing it from going in¡­ and deciding the game!


    10-11¡­, game over!


    "YESSSSS¡­!" Emeka reacted first, roaring as he charged towards his goalkeeper before jumping on his back in celebration.


    The other Enyimba FC yers were slow to react but once they did, they ran and jumped in sheer euphoria, celebrating wildly.


    On the other side, the Al Ahly yers copsed on the pitch, exhausted and defeated. It was a contrasting emotion of defeat and glory, but that was football.


    While the Enyimba FC yers celebrated, the Al Ahly yers agonized in the throes of defeat.


    This intense CAF Champions league semifinal eventually ended with Enyimba FC going all the way to the final.


    It was an incredible game.

 Chapter 54: Becoming a star

    "Samuel Moses, what an incredible game you yed today!" The female reporter was all smiles, passionate as he addressed the main star of the just concluded game.


    "For the second consecutive semi-final game, you showed your quality, outperforming every other yer, all more experienced than you to clinch the man of the match award, what do you think of your performance Sam?"


    Sam smiled, breathing heavily as he wiped the sweat of his face. "I don''t like to think much on my performance, I rather think about the team''s performance and personally, I think this is our best performance of the season so far".


    "In such a storied stadium, against such a legendary team, and given what was at stake, I''d say the team performed at a truly elite level today. We deserved every inch of what we''re enjoying, the victory". He grinned.


    "Ah! Before I forget," he smiled mischievously at the camera. "Ojo, thanks for the penalty scored and saved, you saved our asses out there today man. I''ll force the captain to buy you something special". He chuckled.


    "So, Sam, what do you think about the final? Do you think your team stands a chance of going all the way and beating the final-ced team to win the CAF champions league trophy this year?"


    "Definitely, I do". Sam nodded seriously. "No matter who we face in the final, just like we gave our best today, I believe that we''ll give our best again, and God willing, we will win the trophy".


    "That''s a nice sentiment". The female reporter smiled. "What about the Al Ahly fans? I can''t help but notice you riling them up multiple times in the game".


    Hearing that, Sam scratched his hair awkwardly. "Oh, that," he chuckled. "Honestly, I didn''t do it with any bad intentions in mind, it was just in the heat and moment of the game".


    He looked at the camera. "I hope you guys are not too offended, I just wanted my team to win by all means".


    The reporter smiled. "Well, they''ll definitely hear your apology now after you said it. Anyways, Sam thanks for having me again, do have a nice day".


    "You too ma''am". And with that, Sam walked off.


    A few minutester, leaving the Cairo International Stadium alongside his teammates, Sam was shocked as they met fans wearing the Enyimba FC home jersey standing outside waiting for them.


    "Sam, an autograph please!"


    "Sam, I want an autograph please!"


    "Sam, please a picture!"


    "I came all the way from Delta State to see you!"


    "Austin, please, an autograph!"


    ''Damn!'' This was the first thought that Sam had as he subtly inclined his head to look at his captain, looking for directions.


    "What?" Austin shrugged. "Don''t look at me, this is my first time witnessing something like this too".


    "Fans have never asked for my autograph before now too!"


    "So, what will I do?" Sam hissed?


    Austin chuckled. "Chill out man. Just go meet them, make sure to put a smile on your face, write anything you want on their jersey".


    "Ah! Not anything," he smiled. "Write your name on their jersey, just Sam, Sam is good".


    Austin was already walking ahead towards the fan who demanded from him as with a big smile on his face, he took the girl''s pen before scribbling away on her jersey. Watching him do it, Sam was stunned. ''Is this really his first time?''


    He felt tensed but he was able to ignore it somehow, maybe it was because he was so exhausted but he walked up to the fans with a smile on his face.


    "Hey!" Greeting, he took their jersey and their pen before scribbling, writing Sam in the most stylish way that his creative senses coulde up with.


    Once he scribbled on the jersey of the first fan, a girl, she shrieked excitedly while hugging her friend. "Yeahhhh!"


    Sam felt weird. ''Is this how it feels to be a star?''


    ''Am I bing a star?''


    They mostly asked for only Austin and Sam and by the time both of them finished signing and taking pictures, almost all their teammates were already inside the bus. They joined their teammates soon after and the bus finally moved.


    Right there in the bus, a certain yer''s family did not allow him to get home and settle down first before the call came.


    (Iing call from Best Mom¡­)


    As soon as Sam picked up the call, he hid his phone closer to his ear and hissed. "Mom, I''m still on the bus!"


    They were having none of it though. "CONGRATULATIONS¡­!" Came the voice, so loud that Sam flinched away from his phone.


    Besides him, Austin chuckled. "It''s your mom right?" He smiled at him.


    "F*ck!" Sam cursed before putting the phone closer to his ear. "Mom, please, I''m in the bus!"


    "Congrattions son, I can''t believe you finally did it¡­!"


    "Congrattions Sam, make sure you buy me something from Egypt!"


    "Congrattions son, you made it to a major final in your first season as a professional footballer, you truly are made for the top! I''m so proud!"


    "Dad, mom, Sophia, listen to me¡­"


    "When are youing back? I can''t wait to see you to celebrate this more personally. Don''t worry, I''ll make your favorite soup for you, I promise!"


    "Mom¡­"


    "Is it Egusi you want? Owho soup and starch? Ogbono? Or is it Banga soup?"


    Sam palmed his face. "Mom¡­!" Heined.


    Beside him, Austin just kept on chuckling, Sam red at him. "But mom¡­!"


    "Congrattions son!" Mr. Moses'' voice interjected again. "You just gave me infinite bragging rights in front of my friends!"


    "Their father!" Mr. Mosesughed loudly. "Their son no reach!" He spoke pidgin, his voice reeking with excitement and pride.


    "My son is a star!" He shouted.


    By now, all the Enyimba FC fans in the bus were already looking at Sam weirdly, including Olisema who had aplicated look in his eyes.


    Sam felt embarrassed. ''F*ck, f*ck, f*ck¡­!'' He cursed repeatedly in his mind.


    In the end, Mrs. Moses only ended the call when the bus was already close to the team''s hotel room in Egypt.


    And with that, the yers came down and went into their hotel rooms.


    All of them were exhausted and needed rest after such an intense game. And just like Sam, they also wanted to celebrate their victory with their family and friends too.


    Entering his hotel room alongside his captain, no longer embarrassed, Sam finally put a call back to his family. This time, it was a video call.


    The night was going to be long.


    They spoke for a long time.

 Chapter 55: A triumphant return

    The next day, the Enyimba FC squad finally went to the Cairo International Airport. It was time to go home.


    Every one of the yers was in a good mood, including their usually stern coach, Coach Yemi Daniel. It may seem like just any other football game but what they achieved yesterday was legendary.


    Making it to the final of the CAF champions league in itself was already legendary, but it was the circumstances surrounding their qualification that made it even more legendary. Enyimba FC were the big underdogs yesterday.


    Due to their form in the champions league, they were rated fairly in the semifinal, but their opponent was Al Ahly, the Egyptian footballing giants, a club that had a genuine stake as the best in all of Africa.


    Not only were they ying against Al Ahly, but it was the return leg game yed in the iconic home stadium of their opponents.


    Putting out such an iconic performance in such an iconic stadium was legendary, this was why it meant so much to the yers and their coach.


    They were not the only ones who shared this sentiment, the Enyimba FC fans shared the same sentiment and it was already sweeping through Nigeria like the unstoppable tide of a flood.


    Social media was filled with posts with trending themes all rting to yesterday''s performance, the tags mostly being #Enyimba FC, #Samuel Moses, and #Austin dapo.


    Sam was never really a social media person but during his 4 years away from football, he was introduced into the diverse world of social media by his sister.


    He was not too active but he had an ount in most social media tforms.


    On the way back to Nigeria, Sam was initially frightened as all his social media tforms experienced an upsurge in followers.


    To his shock, within this short time, multiple social media fan groups were already created in his favor and they were raking followers at a rapid rate.


    He was shocked. ''Was my performance¡­ really that legendary?''


    In hindsight, a 17-year-old winning consecutive man of the match awards in the semifinals of the CAF champions league was definitely not normal.


    In the biggest stage of club football, the UEFA champions league, the most recent performance closest to his was that of Ngolo Kante, the French midfielder during Chelsea''s triumphant 2021/2022 champions league campaign.


    When the Enyimba squad finally arrived in Nigeria, they received a hero''s wee at the airport from their excited supporters.


    There were literally thousands of fans waiting for them in the international airport in Asaba, Delta State. They all sang songs of victory.


    And again, for the second time in 2 days, Sam and others of his teammates were forced to participate in fan service as they signed autographs and took pictures with the fans who demanded them.


    They spent a long time in the airport before finally taking a bus to Abia State. The media covered it as everything transpired in the airport.


    That was not the only wee that the triumphant squad received though. Returning to their home stadium, the yers were surprised by the presence of tens of thousands of fans filling the stands, waiting for their arrival.


    "Don''t tell me¡­, damn!" Austin was losing it. "Something like this has never been done before since I entered the club!" Austin was emotional.


    The club organized a celebratory party to mark their legendary triumph over Al Ahly in their backyard in Egypt.


    "Sam!" "Sam!" "Sam!"


    "Austin!" "Austin!"


    The fans sang different songs but the name of their exciting young attacking midfielder and their captain was at the forefront as they sang songs with their names. It was a dizzying experience to Sam.


    Under this much scrutiny and appreciation, he felt overwhelmed.


    ''Damn!'' He thought. ''Reversing my decision to y football indeed is the best thing that ever happened to me¡­, and getting the system too''.


    ''Hell, that 2022 FIFA World Cup final is the real OG, it changed everything!''


    Austin had a speech, thanking the fans for their constant support despite the odds against them, acknowledging the help of the away fans in their triumph.


    The fans were not satisfied with that though, they demanded another yer to give a speech too.


    "We want Sam!" They roared.


    Nobody knew who started it but soon enough, it graduated into a chant in this stadium as the fans demanded for him.


    In the end, left with no choice, awkwardly, Sam took the mic. "Umm," immediately after they heard his voice, this stadium became deathly silent. Sam cleared his throat. "First, I want to thank all of you foring today".


    After saying the first words, noting the silent respect that the fans gave him, before Sam knew it, his tension already disappeared, reced by loving confidence.


    He smiled. "At the beginning of the season, most people didn''t expect us to do much but here we are, in the final of the CAF champions league".


    "Not only that," he grinned. "We''re also leading the NPFL table!"


    "Yeahhhh!!!" The fans cheered excitedly.


    Sam''s smile widened. "I want to acknowledge your support through it all. Everything that we do on the pitch, we do it for the fans. Without your support, we would have never made it this far".


    "For all that, Sam says arigato". He grinned, causing a stir in the stadium with his Japanese as the fans chanted his name some more.


    ''Damn! I love this feeling''. He thought.


    With the big smile still on his face, he finally decided to bring his speech to an end. "Just as you''ve done since the beginning of the season, I want you all to keep the faith in us. We won''t let it down". He said seriously.


    "Us making it to this stage was not a fluke. Support us and I promise you," he grinned. "We will win the CAF champions league this year!"


    "SAM!" "SAM!" "SAM!"


    The cheers were deafening.


    "And we will also win the league!"


    The stadium literally exploded with that as the excited fans let loose, roaring at the top of their voices out of sheer ecstasy.


    After a few more dozen minutes of interacting with the fans on the pitch, the yers finally left. And this was when Sam got an even bigger shock.


    "Mom?" His eyes were wide as saucers. "Dad? Ian?!"


    "Congrattions munchkin!" Mr. Moses grinned, pulling his son into an embrace. "You really think we won''te after such a milestone achievement in your football career?"


    "I¡­, I didn''t expect it".


    In the end, f*ck expectations, Sam felt on top of the world! There was no greater feeling than celebrating victory with family.


    Hisst shock of the day came an hour after meeting with his parents.


    In the hotel where his parents and his best friend lodged, to Sam''s shock, Coach Yemi Daniel came to meet themter in the day with documents.


    Mr. Moses shook the older man''s hands. "To what do we owe this honor, coach?"


    Coach Yemi Daniel had a gentle smile on his face. "Good day Mr. Moses".


    "Well, your son has exceeded all expectations that were set by the hierarchy of my club so after a lot of consideration, we decided to improve the contract terms and increase his monthly sry".


    "Sam will now receive a monthly sry of 500,000 naira per month".


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "¡­..!"

 Chapter 56: CAF champions league finalist

    After just 2 games paired with 2 iconic performances, Sam''s life changed.


    Not only did his monthly club sry double, but he also became a star. The CAF champions league semifinal game shot him straight to stardom.


    Qualifying to the final of the CAF champions league did not mean that life stopped for Sam though, instead, life was about to be even more hectic.


    The football season was drawing close to its deciding moments.


    This was when the clubs that would be relegated and those that would remain in the NPFL would be decided, the fight was on. This was the time when the top four battle was peaking, forming into a crescendo of war.


    That evening while Enyimba FC celebrated their victory at home, 2 heavyweights of African football slugged it out in the other semifinal battle to determine the second finalist of the 2022/2023 CAF champions league.


    And after a nerve-wracking game, the finalists of this season''s CAF champions league was decided.


    (CAF Champions League!)


    (Semifinal results:)


    >Al Ahly 2-2 Enyimba FC<


    >Aggregate: 4-4, Enyimba FC wins on penalties<


    >Date: 19 May, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Mamelodi Sundowns 2-2 Wydad AC<


    >Aggregate: 2-2, Wydad AC wins on away goals<


    >Date: 20 May, 2023<


    ¡­


    (Final fixtures: First leg)


    >Enyimba FC ¨C Wydad AC<


    >Date: 4th June, 2023<


    After 2 rounds of incredible football in the semifinal of the CAF champions league, against all odds, all 4 teams could only settle for a draw.


    Due to the fact that both Enyimba FC and Al Ahly scored 2 goals each in both games, the away goal rule was voided which was why they had to y all the way to extra time and eventually penalties to decide the oue of the game.


    For Mamelodi Sundowns though, they were not so lucky. Despite ying their best football across 2 games against Wydad AC, they were unlucky to fall short due to the away goal rule.


    Since they couldn''t score in their opponent''s home, ending the game 0-0 while they unluckily conceded 2 goals to the opponents in their own home, the away goal rule took effect, knocking them out of thepetition.


    For the finals, it was Nigeria vs Moro.


    2 footballing giants of 2 well-known African nations were about to slug it out for the ultimate trophy of African football.


    Originally, since they didn''t make it to the final yet, rivalry still affected who the fans support but since it was the final and it was a Nigerian team against a team from another country, all Nigerians rallied behind Enyimba FC.


    Nigerians were renowned for supporting their own and this time again, it was no different. They say the enemy of your enemy is your friend, this was apt for the situation.


    Support for Enyimba FC flooded everywhere, mainly social media.


    And with all the support which tranted to promotion, a name stayed at the forefront of it all, Samuel Moses, the talented young Enyimba FC attacking midfielder. Sam was the star of his club''s CAF champions league performances.


    Since the group stage, he carried his team all the way to here.


    All the publicity brought a lot of scrutiny to the Enyimba FC yers, but the experienced Coach Yemi Daniel did not let it get to the head of his yers as he kept on drilling them in training till they were exhausted.


    "Only a fool would becent towards the end of a battle".


    "The season is gradually drawing towards its end one game at a time".


    "Towards the end of battle, your enemy bes desperate to win, desperate enough to use dirty means. Against that, bingcent is a sure way to death".


    "The only way to keep the momentum going is effort, not just effort but the plural, efforts! I want more effort!"


    Coach Yemi Daniel was a stern and strong-headed coach and this time, his yers really needed it as his personality helped them get their head over their recent fame, putting their all in training again.


    They had till June to y the first leg of the final against Wydad AC and till that time, they had to keep their remarkable run in the league.


    Enyimba FC didn''t disappoint.


    In their next 2 league games, led by their 2 leaders on the pitch, Sam and Austin, the team yed incredible football, dominating and totally demolishing their opponents by the end of 90 minutes.


    It was the perfect work out session for what was toe ahead.


    Over the course of the season, the highlight point of Sam''s career to Coach Yemi Daniel so far was not his incredible performances every game though the consistency wasmendable, to him, what stood out was the boy''s tenacity.


    Despite ying game after game, week in week out, overworking his young legs, Sam was like an engine that never suffered from wear and tear.


    With the elixirs supplied by his system, Sam was always able to fully recover before the next game, enabling him to y at an elite level regrly even as he was still developing as a yer.


    Considering that the Nigerian FA Cup would also start soon, the schedule would only be more hectic and packed.


    Coach Yemi Daniel felt lucky to have a yer of Sam''s tenacity in his boots.


    ''I wonder which European club woulde knocking first''. He wondered after seeing Sam clinch another man of the match award in the second league game, Emeka clinched the award in the first league game after the semifinal win.


    At first, it felt like it would take forever to get to June but time moved fast. Incredibly, it was already June and not just that, it was the D-day.


    On June 4th, 2023, Abia State was filled with lots of rich travelers. Not just the tens of thousands of Enyimba FC supporters who came from all around the country to support one of their own, but also the away fans.


    On that day, the Enyimba International Stadium stands were filled to the brim. In the iconic biro blue colors of Enyimba FC, the fans dwarfed most corners of this stadium except the tiny corner where the away fans hurdled up in.


    The away fan section was also filled to the brim with Wydad AC fans.


    After the opening ceremony organized by the CAF champions league organizers, the yers of both team finally made their way to the pitch under the loud noise being made by the tens of thousands of fans filling the stadium.


    As each yer''s name was read out, they cheered. Cheers for Enyimba FC yers and loud boos for Wydad AC yers.


    But this sound reached a crescendo when a certain yer''s name was called.


    "Sam!" "Sam!" "Sam!" They roared loudly, stressing their lungs.


    From just ''Sam'' chants, it transcended, turning into something else. "Zinedine Sam!" They cheered.


    "Zinedine Sam!"


    They didn''t know who started it but chants like this soon filled the stadium.


    Under the onught of so much support from the fans, Sam felt his blood boil hot like he was in a volcano.


    He jumped confidently in response to the flurry of cheers, waved at the camera and thought. ''You came for something special right?''


    ''Well, get your popcorns ready, I''m about to give you something iconic!''


    ~----~


    [You have ingested energy elixir!]


    [NOTE: The effects of the energy elixir willst for approximately 12 hours.]


    ~----~


    FWEEEEE!


    The referee''s whistle went off.


    The game started.

 Chapter 57: Final- Enyimba FC vs Wydad AC [1]

    The final of the CAF champions league.


    The grandestpetitive stage that African football could offer any of its clubs and their yers.


    A tournament that the Ultimate Football System had to bend the rules for just to make sure that it''s host participated in it.


    To Sam, today was the culmination of his first season in professional football.


    Today would likely determine if his first season as a professional footballer was below bar, average, or an overwhelming sess.


    All the football that he had been ying since January, it was all for this moment and he was definitely not going to miss his chance to seize it.


    Sam was ready to lose himself in the energy of this incredible game.


    FWEEEEE!


    Immediately after the referee''s whistle sounded, Enyimba FC started kick-off and from the first minute, they stamped their authority on the game.


    Wydad AC was another footballing giant of Africa seen on the same pedestal as the likes of Al Ahly, they were a tough team to y against but in the Enyimba International Stadium, this iconic team with loads of footballing history was forced to dance to the tune of the home team.


    They were forced to ept the reality that today, they were the underdogs as Enyimba FC dominated possession.


    Amid this domination, 2 names shone brightest, Sam and Austin.


    The duo seemed like the perfectbination on the pitch as both feeling in the mood, they yed total football, dictating the game.


    It didn''t take too long for them to make their stamp on the game. In the 21st minute of the game, receiving the ball in the halfway line, Sam started a mazy run from midfield, weaving through multiple opposition yers, exchanging one-two passes with Austin as he prated into the box.


    Their chemistry on the pitch was now almost telepathic.


    Inside the box, he passed to Emeka who passed back to him and just as the angle opened to shoot and as Wydad AC yers swarmed him, he pushed the ball right with the outside of his boot towards empty space where a certain midfielder''s marauding run led to.


    Austin was unmarked in the box!


    A technical mistake, and Wydad AC regretted their mistake dearly as the Enyimba captain didn''t make a mistake, rifling the ball into the from point-nk range with his powerful right foot. The Wydad AC goalkeeper stood no chance.


    "GOALLLL¡­!" Austin screamed at the top of his lungs, celebrating wildly as he run towards the corner g with his teammates in tow.


    Austin was always a good yer, the heart of Enyimba FC but he was one of those yers who you just get the feeling has a certain cap to their development.


    But with Sam''s arrival, this yer exploded, peaking.


    Austin already had highlight moments in his career, but none of them meant as much as this single moment, this was the CAF champions league final!


    Scoring in today''s game meant the world to him.


    Running to the corner g, the emotional captain slid on his knees, doing the hail Mary celebration before pointing his fingers to heaven in gratitude.


    When his teammates arrived, they all hugged him, celebrating excitedly. At the end, Austin kissed Sam on the forehead. "God bless you Sam". He whispered in his ears, patting his head.


    "Bless your full generation!" He said emotionally.


    FWEEEE!


    The game restarted.


    That goal seemed to rattle some nerves as after a long time of sleeping, the Wydad AC yers finally erupted like a slumbering Dragon that was finally awake.


    For the next few minutes, they wrestled with Enyimba FC for ball superiority in their home but what they didn''t ount for was that this was not the scenario of a Dragon preying on a pig or a horse.


    Rather, this was a situation of a Dragon fighting a battle to the death against a mythical Kraken who was in its prime.


    Enyimba FC yed like a mythical beast.


    Wydad AC could only do so much to try wrestling for superiority over this game, and in the end, it was another moment of individual brilliance from one of the 2 Enyimba midfielders on top of their game that cut them open.


    In the 42nd minute of the game, receiving the ball at the right side of the pitch, already in the zone state, Sam took one look, saw what he sought before whipping a deadly cross into the box.


    Whoosh!


    Like a hurricane, Emeka reacted with incredible agility and strength, bursting away from his markers before poking this perfect cross into the past the despairing arms of the Wydad AC goalkeeper.


    "F*ck!" The Wydad AC goalkeeper cursed,ining loudly.


    Emeka didn''t care though, he was already whirling away in celebration even as the stadium was drowned by the cheers of the excited supporters.


    "Zinedine Sam!"


    "Zinedine Sam!"


    "Zinedine Sam!"


    Under all this noise, Sam felt on top of the world and it only made his blood boil even hotter. He was not satisfied yet, he wanted to do more.


    ''I want to do more!''


    ''Come on! I can do more!''


    For the remaining minutes of the first half, led by him and Austin, they tortured the Wydad AC defense and in the 45th plus 2 minutes, Sam came closest as he wiped a lethal shot at goal only for it to bounce off the post for a corner kick.


    Austin floated the corner kick in, Farouk rose highest, nting a firm header towards goal but the Wydad AC goalkeeper was at alert, calmly iming the ball in the air. And immediately, this goalkeeper sprinted before throwing the ball long.


    He started a counter-attack for his team!


    ''¡­!''


    The Enyimba FC yers noticed the threat immediately, tracking back.


    Receiving the ball on the left wing, the tall Wydad AC yer started a run, abusing his dizzying speed to rapidly eat yards of space till he arrived inside the box.


    The Enyimba FC defenders closed him down but this winger didn''t panic.


    Cutting past the first defender to the right, he continued his run, cutting past the second defender to the same right before finally throwing a beautiful curled shot in with his right leg. Ojo went on a full stretch dive but it was not enough.


    The ball curled past his reach, nestling into the embrace of the.


    1 counter-attack, 1 goal¡­


    For a moment, Enyimba International Stadium was silenced.


    2-1¡­, in thest minute of the first half.


    The Wydad AC winger celebrated his goal passionately.


    Less than a minuteter, the yers returned to the dressing room, the first half ended 2-1 in Eyimba FC''s favor.

 Chapter 58: Final- Enyimba FC vs Wydad AC [2]

    "Good job guys". Coach Yemi Daniel was grinning from ear to ear as soon as his team walked into the dressing room.


    "I''m proud of your disy this first half".


    He was not bluffing. Despite the fact that Wydad AC managed to score an unexpected goal in thest minute of the first half, this kind of performance against a team like Wydad in the first ce was unexpected.


    His team was ying like a well-oiled machine against the African footballing giant and it left him beaming with immense pride.


    "In the second half, no changes, I want you to keep on doing the same thing".


    "Dominate, give them little chances on the ball, and most importantly, score. Do not let them score a second goal".


    "Look at me," he pointed at his head. "Your head, keep it in the game".


    "In this second half, they''ll be desperate, they''ll want tomit fouls, be physical and get into your head, don''t let it".


    "Keep on riding the energy of the fans and y your football".


    "Now, let''s go and finish what we started".


    Well, that was all that the Enyimba FC yers needed.


    FWEEEEE!


    When the second half started, just like Coach Yemi Daniel predicted, Wydad AC wilted like a dead flower, retreating into their box as they defended and when Enyimba FC became dangerous, they resorted to ying dirty.


    The Wydad AC yers became physical as they bullied the Enyimba FC yers, bing incredibly physical till yellow cards started being handed out.


    Despite it all though, the performance of 2 yers never faltered, Sam and Austin. With them remaining in tip-top condition, Enyimba FC kept on dominating.


    "Zinedine Sam!" The home supporters kept on singing.


    Again, Sam was at the heart of it as in the 67th minute, he yed an incredible through pass to the right for Victor to run into unmarked.


    This right winger managed to prate into the box, one-on-one with the goalkeeper but instead of shooting, he cut the ball back for his captain who was on another of his marauding runs.


    Austin didn''t miss his moment, tapping the ball into an empty.


    "GOALLLLL¡­!"


    Austin charged towards the corner g, sliding on his knees again as he pumped his fists passionately in celebration.


    In the 67th minute, the game was basically put to bed but Wydad AC was not a team to give up as they kept on pushing aggressively.


    Through counter-attacks, they had their moments a few times but the Enyimba FC defense remained as disciplined as a tortoise''s back, letting nothing get through them and in the 82nd minute of the game, it ended.


    And again, it was a familiar name at the forefront, Samuel Moses.


    Receiving a pass from Austin close to the Wydad AC box, even as Zinedine Sam cheers sted through the stadium, with his spatial awareness, Sam noticed the 3 opposition yers charging towards him aggressively with apparent ill intent.


    A thought told him to pass, but another thought told him another thing.


    ''Do your thing!''


    Well, Sam did his thing.


    Sam was charging towards the left but it was a feint. As the 3 yers charged in aggressively, he stopped suddenly, dragging the ball back with the heel of his boots before turning and bursting away with incredible agility.


    The 3 yers collided against each other chaotically, stumbling and falling as gasps andughter rang through this stadium.


    "Zinedine Sam!" The chants rose to a crescendo.


    Another yer charged towards Sam immediately to intercept the ball as he was yet to recover from evading the 3 opposition yers.


    But even as he was still stumbling, with his spatial awareness active, it almost felt like he had eyes behind his head. In reality, he already mapped the whole pitch in his head, knowing the position of his teammates and his opponents.


    As the yer stuck a leg out, even as he was still stumbling, Sam did something rapid, kicking the ball 2 times in quick session in a fraction of a second. He executed a croqueta skill!


    The defender stood, stunned, not knowing when his opponent dashed past him with the ball. He was in a daze.


    "Zinedine Sam!" The cheers rose even higher.


    Still with the ball even as he stumbled, before the ball could roll outside the line for a goal kick, Sam raised his head once to look before crossing the ball across the face of the Wydad AC goal.


    The Wydad goalkeeper dived but the ball didn''t get to his position though. Emeka who was closer to the ball reacted before the goalkeeper as he dove in with his head, hitting the ball with an incredible diving header.


    Bam!


    There was no stopping it. The goalkeeper was already eliminated from the equation, it was a free goal and Emeka scored it with aplomb.


    Instead of charging towards the corner g to celebrate even as his teammates and the home fans roared, Emeka ran toward Sam instead before kneeling and cing this midfielder''s right foot on top his knee.


    He dusted Sam''s boots with his hands.


    Samughed, feeling on top of the moon as his other teammates soon came, swarming both of them as they hugged and celebrated their fourth goal of the game. It was now 4-1 to Enyimba FC.


    Wydad AC yed well, the only factor that stole the X-Factor from them was a name, Zinedine Sam.


    Sam was nowhere near the skill level of the iconic French midfielder yet but his performance today was reminiscing of the French legend''s exploits in the World Cup, most especially against a prime Brazilian national team.


    Sam yed like a total midfielder today, torturing the Wydad AC team with his unreal ymaking for his age, spraying passes left and right, and the asional through pass that cut the team apart like a hot knife through butter.


    Today, on the pitch, Sam was head and shoulders above every other yer, the closest to him being Austin.


    The game ended 4-1 in Enyimba FC''s favor with Sam grabbing a hattrick of assists in the final of the CAF champions league.


    It was a unanimous decision; he won the man of the match award for the 3rd consecutive game in the CAF champions league.

 Chapter 59: Final; in enemy territory [1]

    "Sam, you just won a 3rd straight man of the match award in 3 of the 4 most important games of the CAF champions league, how do you feel?"


    "How do I feel?" Breathing hoarsely, Samughed. "I feel good man, not just good, I feel great!" He whooped excitedly.


    "Every yer starting his career like me dreams of creating moments like I just created today in our career. Giving 3 assists in the CAF champions league final, I had high expectations but definitely not this high". He chuckled.


    "I definitely exceeded my own expectations today".


    And then, he grinned. "All to cap it off now is to get a goal in the return leg, and most of my goals for my first season as a professional football yer would be aplished already".


    "And that right there is the mark of a confident yer in form". The male reporter grinned. "Sam, I''m betting all my money on you for the next game, you better fulfill your promise and score".


    Samughed. "Do that at your own risk. It''s definitely not a promise that I''d score but I''ll try my best".


    "That''s enough for me". The reporterughed. "Anyways, Sam, have you been to social media yet?"


    "Huh?"


    "I mean, after the game".


    "Oh, that? No," he shook his head. "As you can see, I''ve not even left the stadium yet, I don''t even know where my phone is now, so".


    "Oh, I see," the reporter nodded. "Well, some excited Enyimba FC fans have started a thread on social media, mainly twitter".


    The reporter smiled. "Your fans are convinced that you deserve a spot in the balon do''r podium this year".


    Hearing that, Sam palmed his face. "That¡­, that''s just¡­" he was speechless.


    The reporter smiled. "Thought so". He chuckled. "Some are more realistic though, they started a thread, advocating for you to win this season''s golden boy award. They firmly believe that you deserve it after your performance today, what do you think?"


    Sam scratched his hair and chuckled. "First of all, I''m appreciative of their support and how much they believe in me, it means a lot to me".


    "I do have a lot of confidence in my ability, but I don''t think I''m yet at the level of those freaks dominating football in the top 5 European leagues yet".


    "This season, there are incredible youngsters like Alejandro Balde of Barcelona, Jamal Musi of Bayern who is my personal favorite, Jude Bellingham, and even Gavi still of Barcelona. There are more incredible talents out there too".


    "Personally, I think all these yers deserve the award far more than I do. Also, though I don''t want to admit it, the league I y in matters too". He smiled wryly. "When I y in a better league, then I canpete". He grinned.


    "Talking of better leagues, which club would you love to go to?"


    Hearing that, Sam grinned. "I love FC Barcelona". He winked.


    The reporter smiled. "They''re a great club with a lot of history. They''ll definitely make do with an attacking midfielder of your profile, taking into fact that you''ll only get better with time".


    "I do wish you a great career ahead Sam. Thanks for having me, have a great day".


    "You too Charles". Sam smiled, shook the reporter''s hand before leaving.


    He joined his teammates, listened to his coach, left and signed a few autographs and took a few pictures before returning to his apartment in the guest quarters provided by the club.


    That evening, Sam had another video call with his family.


    The return leg of the CAF champions league would be yed in 7 days. There was a league game in between and for this game, Coach Yemi Daniel decided to rest most of his starting 11 yers.


    Enyimba FC ended up ying 1-1, ending the game with a draw but it was not the only game in between the 7 days.


    The Nigerian FA cup finally started, and Enyimba FC was to y.


    Coach Yemi Daniel rotated his yers again, starting some and resting others, Austin started but Sam stayed in the bench. In the 60th minute though, he was introduced and ended up chipping in with an assist to conclude a convincing 3-1 winning disy from Enyimba FC.


    And with both games out of the way, the squad could finally focus on the return leg of the CAF champions league final that would be yed in Moro.


    A day to the D-day, Coach Yemi Daniel left to Moro with his yers, lodged a hotel before going through their final tactical briefing.


    The night went in a jiffy, and in no time, the D-day was here.


    That evening, the 45,000 capacity Mohamed V Stadium in Casanca, Wydad Athletic Club''s home stadium was filled to the brim with tens of thousands of home supporters here to rattle some Nigerian nerves.


    (CAF Champions League!)


    (Final fixtures: Second leg)


    >Wydad AC ¨C Enyimba FC<


    >Aggregate: 1-4<


    >Date: 11th June, 2023<


    3 goals down already from the first leg, it was bound to be a daunting task for this Moran footballing giant club if they had the intentions of mounting an incredibleeback and their fans were clearly ready to help them through it.


    They would do their part, ensuring that the yers did their part.


    When the Enyimba FC yers stepped foot into the stadium, they were drowned in a chorus of loud boos and whistles. The home supporters hated their nerves for beating their team 4-1 away from home.


    They would make today miserable for them and that was exactly what they did as the referee''s whistle finally sounded tomence the game.


    FWEEEE!


    In the Enyimba International Stadium, Enyimba FC dominated throughout, but today, the reverse was the case as from the first minute of the game, the Wydad AC yers seeking vengeance pounced like Lions on the hunt.


    Coach Yemi Daniel came here with a specific tactical approach though. He yed a bnced formation that could help his team staypact, transitioning from attack to defense seamlessly.


    He didn''t y a fully defensive formation, but arranged his team in a shape where they could easily arrange themselves in a formidable defensive block.


    The tactic worked, but only for 30 minutes.


    In the 33rd minute of this second leg final, Wydad AC struck!

 Chapter 60: Final; in enemy territory [2]

    BAM!


    The sound reverberated through this stadium, briefly silencing the noise made by the fans as the ball flew like a rocket.


    It was a powerful shot from the stocky Wydad AC center midfielder.


    The ball rose high and urately towards the top right corner of the Enyimba FC, but Ojo was on top of his game, rising high into the air on a full stretch dive as he did it, barely pushing the ball into the post as it bounced back on a rebound.


    All the yers in the box reacted immediately, scrambling for the loose ball but the Wydad center forward got there first as this yer shot despite the fact that an Enyimba FC defender tugged on him from behind.


    Another defender put his body on the line, blocking the shot but right after was when this yer fell on the ground due to the tug on his shirt.


    Then, incredibly¡­


    FWEEEE!


    The referee blew his whistle for a penalty kick.


    The Enyimba FC yers swarmed the referee, protesting the decision but the stern bald-haired referee was not having it, his decision was final.


    After his whistle blew again, the Wydad AC center forward did a short run, did a small feint before sending Ojo the other way, calmly tucking the ball home into the back of the.


    In the 33rd minute of the game, Wydad AC scored the first goal in their home, making it 1-0 and 2-4 on aggregate.


    The game was on.


    When the game restarted, Enyimba FC didn''t change their approach as they continued ying their conservative football, wrestling with Wydad AC for control so their ball domination would not be too ridiculous.


    The Enyimba yers executed their coach''s orders to near perfection, but in the end, sometimes, conservatism was not enough to curb endless enthusiasm.


    In the 42nd minute of the game, just 9 minutes after the first goal, after a chaotic scramble in the Enyimba FC box, the ball snuck into the. It was an unfortunate own goal from one of the Enyimba FC center backs.


    The game was already 2-0, 3-4 on aggregate.


    Theeback was on!


    That second goal definitely seemed to rattle some Enyimba nerves as the yers made more mistakes, losing the ball more soon after.


    Wydad AC kept on knocking that first half, trying their best with half chances but in the end, none went in, ending the first half 2-0 in their favor.


    When his yers entered the dressing room, Coach Yemi Daniel was calm, looking at them. This experienced coach could tell that his team was rattled already.


    This was a final, the worst reaction to his team''s current mental state was acting agitated,shing out at their imperfect performance in the first half.


    Instead of reacting agitatedly, he decided to stay calm. "Calm down". He said in the calmest voice that he could muster.


    "The game is still in our favor; all we need is control".


    "We made a few mistakes in this first half and it cost us. In this second half, I''m not asking for perfection, just don''t make any more mistakes".


    "You can do it; you''ve done it before".


    "You''ve done it against Al Ahly in their home, Wydad AC is a downgrade. They''re just a stumbling block that we will eventually ovee".


    "For the second half, I''m making just one change". He looked round at his yers. "Victor, you''ll be making way for Olisema".


    "In the second half, I want you to wrestle more for the ball. With a 4-man midfield, I want you to reduce their midfield domination with the ball".


    "Once we have control of the ball, we have control of the game".


    "Let''s go out and make history boys".


    FWEEEE!


    When the second half started, Cyril Olisema was introduced as Enyimba FC altered its shape from a bnced 4-3-3 formation to a 4-4-2 formation.


    And with this formation, Enyimba''s performance finally showed improvement as the ball domination percentage was no longer as lopsided in the second half. Still, Wydad AC dominated.


    As the minutes of the second half progressed, drawing to the end, the Wydad yers became more desperate and the more desperate they were, the more attacking raids theyunched on their opposition half.


    Throughout the game, Sam did everything ording to the book, defending, passing, and following his coach''s instructions to the minute details.


    He was having an amazing game. He barely misced a pass, having an 89% pass uracy and mixing some through balls into the fray yet Enyimba FC could not create anything substantial due to their conservative y.


    Sam was calm at first but the more and more his box was attacked, the closer Wydad AC came to scoring the third goal, the more riled up he became till in the 75th minute, he snapped.


    ''I can''t afford this risk anymore''.


    ''Coach can, but I can''t¡­, f*ck tactics!''


    After another inch-perfect sliding tackle from Farouk, the defensive midfielder passed to his captain and Austin passed to Sam.


    The ball flowed smoothly between the 3 midfielders.


    Immediately after the ball touched his leg, Sam didn''t even look around. With his spatial awareness, he kept track of his opponents and alone, he went on a solo run starting all the way from his half.


    Sam skipped through the first challenge with his close ball control, lost the second yer with a body feint, and as he closed in on the Wydad box like a rampaging bull, he faced a third yer.


    As the yer closed in, Sam raised his right leg over the ball once, then his left, then his right again till the yer became dizzy, stumbling.


    In that short moment, Sam was already in the zone state as he deleted the opposition yer with step overs before cutting the ball to the right, skipping past him. He was still yet to enter the box but from here, Sam saw an angle to shoot.


    He didn''t hesitate.


    With the inside of his right foot, he smashed the ball hard.


    BAM!


    The ball rose high into the air, above the post as the goalkeeper left it to fly off for a goal kick but all of a sudden, in mid-air, the ball swerved back down.


    The Wydad AC goalkeeper was rooted to the spot, he could only watch, stunned, as the ball nestled into the top left corner of his.


    "What a goalllll¡­!" Thementator roared.


    "An incredible solo goal!"


    "What a rocket shot!"


    "And Sam, the African Zidane does it again!"


    Sam ran off to the corner g, slid on his knees in celebration before pointing at his head, emphasizing his mentality as he nodded at the camera.


    The away fan section erupted in loud cheers.


    In the 75th minute, Wydad AC''s lead was cut by half, 2-1.


    The Wydad AC yers were disappointed but motivated by their coach, they didn''t let an inch after the referee''s whistle sounded again as they went in with even more determination to score but this time, Enyimba FC were defensively perfect.


    The leg 2 final of the CAF Champions league ended 2-1 in Wydad AC''s favor, but on aggregate, Enyimba FC won 3-5.


    Sam''s overall performance in this game earned him a 4th consecutive man of the match award in the CAF champions league.

 Chapter 61: Enyimba FC- Winners of the 2022/2023 CAF Champions League Trophy

    (CAF Champions League!)


    (Final fixtures: First leg game)


    >Enyimba FC 4-1 Wydad AC<


    >Date: 4th June, 2023<


    ¡­


    (Final fixtures: Second leg game)


    >Wydad AC 2-1 Enyimba FC<


    >Aggregate: 3-5<


    >Date: 11th June, 2023<


    ¡­


    (Winners of the 2022/2023 CAF Champions League Trophy: Enyimba FC!)


    Immediately after the final whistle was blown, the sculpters went to work, engraving the name of Enyimba FC on the prestigious trophy.


    While this happened backstage, on the pitch, emotion flowed.


    Most of the Wydad AC yers copsed on the pitch, exhausted and tired even as others directly burst into tears. Making it to the final of the CAF champions league was an incredible achievement, but they all wanted to win.


    After oveing so many challenges, including Mamelodi Sundowns just to get here and lose to Enyimba FC, it was heartbreaking.


    While most of the yers broke down in tears, others lying on the pitch, the captain of the Wydad AC team walked towards his teammates, consoling them while telling them that they needed to acknowledge their supporters.


    In the end, they listened, standing up and following their captain as they walked up towards the tens of thousands of supporters that came out for them today. They may have lost, but they still needed to appreciate the fans.


    Unlike what they expected though, the fans didn''t show any negative reaction, rather loud apuse and cheers soon filled this stadium.


    The fans were proud of their team''s performance today.


    Enyimba FC may have won in the end but they didn''t make it easy for them. Heck, today, they were the winners since they won 2-1 in their home, that was enough constion for them to briefly forget the pain that they were going through.


    While sorrow and constion were the emotion prevalent among the Wydad AC side, the Enyimba FC side experienced a whole other emotion, euphoria.


    Immediately after the final whistle blew, confirming that his team just won the CAF Champions League, an emotional Coach Yemi Daniel removed his face cap before waving it wildly as he ran into the pitch to celebrate with his yers.


    Seeing their coach run towards them, the Enyimba FC yers in blue rushed towards him before carrying him up as they celebrated him, juggling him in the air.


    The emotion among them was full of euphoria and joy.


    Their champions league campaign this season just felt unreal. First, they didn''t even qualify for the trophy, needing the national association to step in just before they had the rights to y in the tournament.


    Despite all the controversy surrounding their qualification, and despite all what the pundits and critics said, somehow, against all odds, they did it, going all the way to win the CAF champions league trophy.


    It didn''t feel like reality at all, rather, it felt like a perfectly written script filled with ups and downs but with the perfect ending.


    All the yers and their coach felt on top of the world, including the bench yers. Afterall, the trophy win would also be recorded in their CV.


    After celebrating with their coach, the yers also celebrated their victory in their own unique ways. As for Sam, he made a video call right there in the stadium.


    (Outgoing video call to Best Mom¡­)


    As soon as she picked the call, before he could speak, he was drowned in a cacophony of noise.


    "SAM¡­!!!" He heard his name being screamed.


    "My son! I can''t believe it¡­, you did it!" His mom was actually in tears!


    "I''m so proud of you!"


    ''Damn mom, when did you be this emotional?'' Sam was bbergasted.


    His dad hugged his wife in the background, kissing her on the forehead. "I told you, right? I told you, our son is made for the top!"


    "Congrattions son, I can''t wait for you toe home finally".


    "Don''t worry, this time, bills are on me," this man patted his chest confidently. "I will throw a party to celebrate this achievement!"


    Mr. Mosesughed loudly. "I can''t wait for you to don the blue and red of Barcelona boy, next time, it''s the UEFA Champions League!"


    "Yes dad!" Samughed exuberantly.


    "Sam, buy me something from Moro!" Sophia shouted from the background.


    The funniest thing to Sam was that his parents and sister were not the only ones at home who watched the final on their TV.


    At this moment, his home was filled with neighbors and family friends. Together, they all watched him y in the final of the CAF champions league.


    And when the excitement finally died a bit from his immediate family, they congratted him.


    "Congrattions Sam, you just made the whole of Abraka proud!"


    "We can''t wait for you toe back!"


    "Congrattions Sam".


    "Congrattions".


    When Sam was finally forced to end the video call, he did it with a big smile on his face. He felt on top of the world.


    He looked at heaven, kissing the Enyimba FC badge on his jersey. ''God bless the day I kicked a football again''.


    And finally, it was the trophy presentation time.


    The Wydad AC yers who already mostly recovered from their disappointment stepped on the podium first as the tournament organizers gave them their silver medals, congratting them on their performance.


    After them, the Enyimba FC squad finally climbed the podium led by their coach as they collected their gold medals.


    After collecting the medals, they were finally presented with the trophy.


    Wrapping his hands around this trophy finally, Austin felt on top of the world. This yer felt a rollercoaster of different emotions, mostly euphoric in nature flow through him as he kissed the trophy passionately.


    Climbing back into the stadium, as the captain, he was the one supposed to lift the trophy as they celebrated but at thest moment, he changed his mind.


    "Come, lift it, you deserve it".


    Sam was stunned. "Are you sure?"


    "Are you kidding me? Come lift it before I change my mind!"


    Sam grinned and ced his hands on the trophy. He kissed it before lifting it and in tandem, the Enyimba FC yers jumped, celebrating wildly as celebratory ribbons were shot into the sky.


    On this day, Enyimba FC imed its 3rd CAF Champions League trophy, a moment that would be forever engraved in the history of the club.


    It didn''t end with the trophy lifting. After most of his teammates left the podium, Sam stayed as he received another trophy, an individual one for giving the most assists in this season''s CAF champions league.


    Incredibly, he also received another individual trophy, sharing the golden boot award with Wydad AC''s striker.


    And finally, he received his 3rd individual award trophy of the night, iming the golden ball award for the best yer of the season''s CAF champions league.


    Sam truly felt on top of the world.


    After all the celebrations, as the squad went to the airport, intent on returning to Nigeria that night to celebrate with their excited fans, Sam received a flurry of notifications from his system.


    He grinned. ''Finally!''

 Chapter 62: System notifications

    ~----~


    [You havepleted a Season System Quest!]


    [Congrattions! You havepleted Season Quest 3!]


    [You havepleted mission 1: Win the CAF Champions League Trophy!]


    [You have been rewarded with +100 Skill Points!]


    [You have been rewarded with a random bonus reward: Form Boost ¡Á2]


    >Form Boost: This is a system boost that randomly boosts 3 of your main attributes by +3 stat points for one game<


    [You have been rewarded with a +7 increase to your dribbling attribute!]


    [Congrattions! You have met the requirements to level up!]


    [Your overall yer rating has increased to 75!]


    ¡­


    yer Attributes:


    *Pace: 73


    *Shot: 72


    *Pass: 76


    *Dribbling: 74


    *Defending: 35


    *Physicality: 63


    *Stamina: 80


    Overall Rating: 75


    ¡­


    After 6 months of ying professional football, despite ying week in week out, his attributes didn''t improve by much, showing him how hard it was for a football yer to improve his skills and abilities.


    He could not rush it; it took time to improve.


    Across the past 6 months, his pace, shooting, and passing attributes all increased by +2 each while his dribbling attribute increased by only +1. The rest of his attributes stayed stagnant but all of a sudden, he just hit the jackpot.


    In one go, his dribbling attribute increased by a whooping +7, taking it all the way from the 60s rank, jumping to the 70s.


    His overall rating also increased all the way to 75.


    The fact that his stash of skill points just increased by a whooping +100 also excited him, but he was more fascinated by the form boost.


    Reading it''s description by the system, he already had an idea of what this boost could do to him on a football pitch and he could not help but grin.


    Getting the system really was the turning point of his life.


    Staring at the notifications in his system screen, Sam felt his chest swell up in joy but that was not all, there were other notifications.


    ¡­


    [Congrattions! You havepleted mission 2: Win the best yer award in the CAF Champions League!]


    [You have been rewarded with a random reward!]


    [Reward randomizing¡­, please wait¡­]


    [Randomizationplete!]


    [Click to open reward card:]


    ¡­


    Sam was surprised as the notifications disappeared, reced by a golden card hovering in the middle of his system.


    On the surface of the card, there was an image of a familiar footballer ying with a football. It was Ronaldinho Gaucho, the Brazilian winger and legend who also yed for FC Barcelona during his prime.


    Ronaldinho donned his Barcelona jersey in the picture on the golden card.


    Sam was stunned. ''A golden card is my reward? What is it about?''


    He could feel his heart beating fast already. He didn''t know what the reward was yet, but anything rting to Ronaldinho as a reward was definitely going to be exciting. ''Ah! Yes, it said I should click to open the reward''.


    Looking round to confirm that no one was looking at him inside the ne, and since Austin was already asleep, he clicked on the golden card.


    Immediately after he clicked on it, the bright light surrounding the golden card became even brighter before it burst into countless golden specks and from the specks came out his reward.


    ¡­


    [You have been rewarded with a legendary inheritance!]


    [You have been rewarded with the intermediate mastery of the Legendary Football Skill: stico!]


    [NOTE:]


    >There are 4 major mastery levels of skills in football, basic, intermediate, advanced, and perfection, but there is a 5th and lesser known mastery level that has only ever been attained by certain legendary footballers, the legendary mastery<


    >There are steep requirements to taking a football skill to the legendary mastery level, the requirements being consistency, outstanding excellence, and gaining the status of a football legend<


    >Ronaldinho Gaucho is a legend of football and he personalized the football skill, stico, taking it all the way to the next mastery level after perfection, the legendary mastery level<


    >It is virtually impossible to take a football skill to the legendary level, except in special circumstances. But by getting the inheritance of the legendary Brazilian, you just got a clear shot at getting a legendary mastery skill level<


    >All you have to do to get there is train and get better, the other requirements have already been fulfilled since it is an inheritance<


    ~----~


    Sam could not believe his eyes, staring at thest notifications of his system with eyes so wide that they almost seemed to burst out of their sockets.


    ''Is this¡­ real?'' He thought, bbergasted.


    ''Is this even possible?!'' He was losing it, not in a bad way though, he was losing it in sheer euphoria, shock, and ecstasy.


    ''Damn! This is crazy!''


    If he was not flying in an airne alongside his teammates, he would have jumped for joy already, screaming at the top of his lungs.


    Initially at the beginning of the season, after every game that he yed, he could feel himself improving no matter how small but after some time, maybe during March, this feeling reduced till it be virtually non-existent.


    Sam could tell that he was no longer improving with every game, he met his first bottleneck in his progression as a football yer as the schedule racked up.


    This was the reason why he paid less and less attention to his system status, focusing on ying and winning games instead as he put all his focus onpleting the season system quests.


    After these series of notifications, it validated his reason for focusing on the quests. The system truly was his best way to rise to the top.


    And now, he was ready to look at his system status again.


    ~----~


    [yer status!]


    Host: Samuel Moses


    Current Career Status: NPFL yer, CAF champions league reigning champion


    Talent Rating: B


    yer Position: Attacking Midfield


    yer Attributes:


    *Pace: 73


    *Shot: 72


    *Pass: 76


    *Dribbling: 74


    *Defending: 35


    *Physicality: 63


    *Stamina: 80


    Overall Rating: 75


    ¡­


    [Owned Football Skills:]


    [Basic mastery level: La croqueta; body feint; Cruyff turn; Power shot; step overs, roulette]


    [Intermediate mastery level: stico]


    ¡­


    [Legendary Inheritance: stico]


    ¡­


    [System Remark: An aspiring football talent in an inferior league!]


    ~----~


    Due to hisck of progress in the past few months, none of his football skills managed to breakthrough to the intermediate mastery level yet.


    Sam never expected that his first intermediate mastery skill would be a skill that he almost never used, the stico.


    ''Life really is unpredictable, huh?''

 Chapter 63: Celebration

    That night, returning to Nigeria, the Enyimba FC squad were treated to another triumphant wee, this time from Moro.


    In the airport, hundreds of fans gathered, waiting for them.


    Not just Austin and Sam anymore, literally all the Enyimba FC yers were forced to take pictures with the excited fans and also sign autographs as they wanted to create a memory from this memorable night for Nigeria football.


    In social media, a storm already started as the excited fans flooded all social media pages, promoting Enyimba FC and most especially, their yer who won the golden ball award for the season''s CAF champions league.


    (Trending Posts in Twitter:)


    *Dammit! Give Zinedine Sam the golden boy award already! No young yer in Europe cance his boots, fight with your keyboard!


    *1 goal and 3 assists, 4 consecutive man of the match awards all the way from the first leg of the semifinals, damn, this mother*cker never miss! Sam is too good, Jesus, give him the balon do''r! The scariest part is he''s still only 17, the Super Eagles is about to wee a monster real soon.


    *Destroyed JS Kabylie in the quarter finals, vited the almighty Al Ahly in the semifinals, and totally obliterated Wydad AC in the final,dies and gentlemen, I present to you, Enyimba FC, the best football club in all of Africa!


    *Enyimba FC is currently the best club in Africa and Samuel Moses is its best yer! All the haters, you can say all you want but honestly, I think Sam is already at the level of those African stars ying in Europe, I dare say even better than some.


    *Which European club ising for him first? In case you see this, Sam, I asked first! Please join my club, please join Chelsea Football Club, we need you, you''re too good to join a wack team like Manchester United, be wise Sam, don''t let them deceive you!


    *I once heard that Sam is an FC Barcelona fan. If that''s true, I can''t wait man, I''m so excited! Do you think Barca will go for him? I really hope so man, I just hope they see the potential in him.


    *Well, I''m pretty surprised at all the noise being made. Enyimba FC won the CAF Champions league, not Sam. I know the boy, I yed football with him here in Abraka, mark my words, Sam is an injury prone yer, he''s not made for the top.


    *Well, haters gonna hate, go suck a d*ck!


    There was a storm in social media and an even bigger storm in reality. Since it was alreadyte when they got to Nigeria, the Enyimba FC yers lodged a hotel in Abuja, the Nigerian capital city where they spent the night.


    The next day, they returned to Abia State where the club already organized another celebratory event to celebrate their achievement yesterday and again, the Enyimba International Stadium was filled with tens of thousands of fans.


    That performance yesterday truly shot all the yers of the starting 11 into stardom, their social media pages experienced an upsurge of followers.


    And of course, the yer at the center of it all was still Sam.


    Right there amid the celebration, the demanding fans chanted.


    "We want Sam!"


    "We want Sam!"


    "We want Sam!"


    Austin was supposed to give the celebratory speech but, in the end, Sam was forced to climb the podium with an awkward smile on his face.


    Once he spoke into the microphone, the noisy stadium instantly quietened down. The fans already saw him as some sort of god sent to rescue their club, the respect hemanded among them now was truly ridiculous.


    Noting their silence, Sam became more confident and with a big smile on his face, he spoke. "We would have never made it all the way to the end without your support, and for that, I appreciate all of you".


    "Personally, I''d like to appreciate a few people".


    "First, Coach," Sam looked down at his coach. "Thank you for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to y professionally when others didn''t, I will never forget your impact in my life and my career".


    "Secondly, and most importantly," he grinned. "I want to thank my family".


    "That you dad, for believing in me, thank you for helping me convince mom". He chuckled. "Thank you for everything," tears welled in his eyes. "Without you, I won''t be standing where I am today".


    "And mom, thank you too," he revealed a witty grin. "Thank you for your fiery support, for agreeing," he chuckled. "I hope by now, you already learned how to pronounce Enyimba FC correctly".


    The fansughed.


    "And Sophia too, thank you for all those times you didn''t rat me out when I snuck out of the house to go y football, I love you".


    "Hehe," heughed. "Don''t worry, I''ll treat youvishly the next time that I meet you".


    "Andstly, the fans". He looked up at the stadium stands where tens of thousands of fans focused on him. "Thank you for believing, in me, in the club, in the squad, everything, we are grateful".


    "Thank you for the unrelenting support".


    "We would have never done it without your support".


    "And right now, I want to make this promise to you," his eyes gleamed. "We''re not done yet".


    "We just won the CAF champions league, but the season is not over yet".


    "The Super 6 yoffs of the league is starting this month to determine the league winners," he grinned. "Rest assured, we will give our all to win it".


    "We will also give our all in the FA Cup".


    "Andstly, we have the Club World Cup to y since we are the reigning champions of Africa".


    "I can''t promise that we will win, but we will give our all".


    "Sam!" "Sam!" "Sam!"


    The fans chanted loudly.


    He raised a clenched fist up and with a grin, he yelled. "Up Enyimba!"


    The fans responded. "Up Enyimba!"


    The yers finally retreated from the celebrations, they still had to prepare for uing games. To the fans though, it was just starting as they continued their celebrations, savoring the moment till satisfaction.


    While all that happened, the fixtures for the Super 6 yoffs to determine the NPFL champion was finally scheduled.

 Chapter 64: Abridged format- Super 6 playoffs

    The 2022/2023 season for the Nigerian Professional Football League was already drawing to an end after just 6 months of football.


    Originally, this was not supposed to be the case but due to the unique circumstances surrounding this season, a few changes were made.


    Due to the dyed start to the season, instead of following the normal format of a regr 38-matchday structure like in previous seasons, the 2022/2023 NPFL season followed an abridged format.


    Instead of the regr 38-matchday structure, the league was divided into two groups, Group A and Group B, and each group had 10 teams.


    This abridged format contributed to the reason why Enyimba FC dominated the top of the league table, this was because there were only 10 teams in their group and their strongest rivals were in the other group.


    The season was already drawing to an end though, which also meant an end to the group stage football as the top 3 teams of both groups advanced to the NPFL Super 6 yoffs.


    The Super 6 yoffs which determined the overall champion of the 2022/2023 season was supposed to take ce from June 3rd to June 11th but due to Enyimba FC''s deep run in the CAF champions league, it was postponed.


    After their champions league win though, the national association rescheduled and finally, the schedule was set.


    (NPFL Super Six yoffs!)


    (Matchday 1:)


    >Remo Stars ¨C Bendel Insurance<


    >Date: 14th June, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Enyimba ¨C Rivers Untied<


    >Date: 14th June, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Sunshine Stars ¨C Lobi Stars<


    >Date: 14th June, 2023<


    ***


    (Matchday 2:)


    >Bendel Insurance ¨C Lobi Stars<


    >Date: 16th June, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Sunshine Stars ¨C Rivers United<


    >Date: 16th June, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Enyimba ¨C Remo Stars<


    >Date: 16th June, 2023<


    ***


    (Matchday 3:)


    >Rivers United ¨C Bendel Insurance<


    >Date: 18th June, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Sunshine Stars ¨C Remo Stars<


    >Date: 18th June, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Enyimba ¨C Lobi Stars<


    >Date: 18th June, 2023<


    ***


    (Matchday 4:)


    >Remo Stars ¨C Rivers United<


    >Date: 20th June, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Sunshine Stars ¨C Enyimba<


    >Date: 20th June, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Bendel Insurance ¨C Lobi Stars<


    >Date: 20th June, 2023<


    ***


    (Matchday 5:)


    >Rivers United ¨C Lobi Stars<


    >Date: 22nd June, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Sunshine Stars ¨C Bendel Insurance<


    >Date: 22nd June, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Enyimba ¨C Remo Stars<


    >Date: 22nd June, 2023<


    9 games in 5 days¡­


    To Enyimba FC, it was a very hectic schedule considering that they were all going to y in neutral ground at the Mobji Johnson Arena in Lagos.


    When you factor in the fact that Enyimba FC also had an FA cup game before traveling to Lagos, it was understandable why the team withdrew out of their champions league win celebrations early.


    After winning the CAF champions league trophy, Sam really wanted to take some time off to stay with his family and his best friend to thoroughly enjoy it but unfortunately, he had professional obligations to y for his club.


    And as the current best yer of the club, Coach Yemi Daniel already put a lot of expectations on his shoulders. Sam could not afford to be out of form.


    So, he trained.


    For the next few days before 14th when the yoffs finally started, Sam stayed diligent with the help of his system as he trained alongside his teammates at the Mobji Johnson Arena in Lagos.


    The Enyimba FC squad went to Lagos ahead of time. As for the FA cup game, Coach Yemi Daniel delegated it to his assistant, leaving a team of substitutes for his assistant to approach the game with.


    In their first game of the FA cup, Enyimba FC was understandably underwhelming as despite ying at home, the B team were almost knocked out of thepetition by their opposition.


    Ast-minute headed goal managed to keep them in thepetition.


    And with that hurdle off, they focused on the Super 6 yoffs where Enyimba FC would take on Rivers United in a blockbuster encounter on matchday 1.


    Like Sam was already used to, the days moved fast and in no time, it was already the D-day as he lined up alongside his teammates against Rivers United.


    After the referee''s whistle went off, just like everyone expected, Enyimba FC set the tempo of the game as their midfield dominated, making sure that they hoarded most of the possession.


    Rivers United struggled to get into the game and after 30 minutes, the floodgates opened as Chijioke, the Enyimba left winger scored the first goal of the game, making it 1-0 in Enyimba FC''s favor.


    Just 3 minutester, Farouk made it 2-0, scoring from a corner after outjumping every other yer.


    By half-time, Enyimba FC was in cruise control of the game. Even after second half started, they were in cruise control, leading 2-0fortably till just 5 minutes away from time, a defensive copse cost them.


    The first one was an unfortunate own goal as Ojo, the Enyimba FC goalkeeper deflected an easy shot into his own, making the score line 2-1 in the 86th minute of the game.


    Just 4 minutester, a defensive mix-up allowed the Rivers United striker to sneak in a shot past Ojo, making it 2-2 at the death.


    The Rivers United fans were loud, roaring at the top of their voices.


    In the end, the double defensive copse cost Enyimba FC as they ended their first game of the yoffs with a draw.


    The full results for matchday 1 came soon after.


    (Matchday 1:)


    >Remo Stars 2-2 Bendel Insurance<


    >Date: 14th June, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Enyimba 2-2 Rivers Untied<


    >Date: 14th June, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Sunshine Stars 0-1 Lobi Stars<


    >Date: 14th June, 2023<


    ¡­


    Due to the high standards that they already set with recent performances, a draw in their first game of the yoffs was a slow start but Enyimba FC kept believing, training diligently till 2 dayster when they yed their second game.


    This time, they went up against Remo Stars.


    When the game started, from the first minute, something became clear, this game was going to be very different from Enyimba FC''s first game.


    Wary of their opponent''s scary form and run in the CAF champions league, unlike Rivers United, Remo Stars didn''t approach this game to win at all as they camped in their box, ying ultra-defensive football.


    For 80 minutes, the Enyimba FC attack was frustrated time and time again despite Austin and Sam being on top of their game.


    Together, the midfield duo created numerous clear-cut chances but their forwards were profligate, failing to convert any one of the chances.


    In the end, despite missing 4 chances in this game already, Emeka, the Enyimba FC center forward was the one who won the game for his team after another defense-splitting pass from his captain.


    After a frustrating night, Emeka finally came out on top in his duel against the Remo Stars goalkeeper, beating this goalkeeper finally in the 82nd minute to give his team the lead.


    "GOALLL¡­!" Emeka roared in the Remo Stars goalkeeper''s face, celebrating his goal exuberantly. He felt relieved after such a frustrating night of football.


    The Remo Stars'' yers were devastated after such a solid defensive performance ended up with them conceding. For the remaining minutes, Enyimba FC kept on probing but the score line remained the same till the final whistle.


    Enyimba FC won their second game of the yoffs 1-0.


    The results of the other games were concluded sometimeter and the results of matchday 2 was out.


    (Matchday 2:)


    >Bendel Insurance 1-1 Lobi Stars<


    >Date: 16th June, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Sunshine Stars 1-1 Rivers United<


    >Date: 16th June, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Enyimba 1-0 Remo Stars<


    >Date: 16th June, 2023<


    In 2 days, Enyimba FC would take on Lobi Stars for their 3rd game of the Super 6 yoffs.

 Chapter 65: 9 days, 5 games...

    5 games in 9 days would take a toll on any footballer, even more so after 6 months of non-stop rushed football already.


    All 6 teamspeting in the Super 6 yoffs were filled with fatigued yers due to the hectic game schedule.


    The yers couldn''tin though, that was what they were paid for.


    For Enyimba FC''s third game of the yoffs, Coach Yemi Daniel rested a few yers including Farouk, recing him with Cyril Olisema but he didn''t touch 2 yers, the untouchable duo of Sam and Austin.


    Against Lobi Stars, Sam and Austin yed all 90 minutes again.


    Just like the game against Remo Stars, they were forced toy siege to the incredible defensive block set up by their opponents who were unwilling to take the risk of taking the battle to them.


    In the end, just like the Remo Stars game, for majority of the game, Enyimba FC dominated possession without breaking through their opponent''s block.


    The first half ended 0-0.


    In the second half though, something unexpected happened.


    In the 68th minute of the game, after another prolonged attacking raid by Enyimba FC, Austin lost the ball, an unusual mistake from the Enyimba FC captain.


    As soon as the Lobi Star center midfielder stole the ball, without hesitation, he kicked the ball to the left where his speedy left winger lurked.


    And immediately, a foot race started!


    Kicking the ball long, the swift left winger erupted, eating yards of space rapidly like they were not there as he effortlessly outran the 3 Enyimba FC yers that were originally ahead of him.


    Ojo charged out of his post to meet the speedy left winger but without panicking, this winger poked the ball high, lobbing the Enyimba FC goalkeeper.


    Ojo could do nothing, the winger scored an incredible goal as this winger whirled away towards the corner g to celebrate.


    In the 68th minute, against the run of y, Lobi Stars got the lead through an incredible counter-attacking moment.


    FWEEEE!


    After the referee''s whistle sounded again to restart y, riled up already, Enyimba FCunched even more aggressive attacking raids on their opponent''s box.


    This time, Austin put even more effort, imposing himself in the game as he yed better than every other yer on the pitch for a few minutes. In the 75th minute, holding possession again, this center midfielder advanced into the box.


    As soon as he entered the box, acknowledging his threat, Lobi Stars'' yers rapidly closed him down but Austin was in the zone state, skipping past challenges till a high boot smashed against hisp, bringing this yer down.


    "Arghhhh¡­!" Grabbing his leg, Austin screamed loudly in pain.


    The yers surrounding him could tell immediately that it was serious.


    The referee stopped the game, handing a straight red card to the Lobi Stars'' yer whomitted the foul and handing Enyimba FC a penalty kick before calling the attention of the medical staff.


    After rushing into the pitch, emergency aid was given to the captain but in the end, with tears streaming down his eyes, Austin shook his head.


    Enyimba FC was devastated, their captain could not continue.


    Austin was stretchered off the pitch injured.


    Watching as they stretchered him off even as Austin looked at him with his teary eyes, Sam felt emotional and reluctant. ''No,'' he thought. ''It was not supposed to end like this''.


    ''How long is he out for?'' He was distracted from his thoughts by thest words of his captain as he was stretchered off the pitch.


    "We need to win". Austin whispered in his direction.


    Hearing that, Sam''s head finally cooled down, settling back in the game. Those words to him felt like a handing over of the baton.


    Austin already did his best, now he was injured, it was up to him to take over.


    ''We must win!'' Thinking, Sam observed the pitch.


    He looked at the scoreboard at the time. ''We still have 25 minutes''.


    FWEEE!


    After the referee''s whistle sounded, Emeka took a perfect penalty kick, sending the Lobi Stars goalkeeper the other way to score and level the game.


    Emeka didn''t celebrate, dedicating the goal to his injured captain instead.


    With one man down already, for the remaining minutes of the game, Lobi Starspletely forfeited attack as they fully focused on defending.


    Without their captain, it was harder for Enyimba FC to fully dominate possession but with Olisema on the pitch with Sam, ying with 2 attack-minded midfielders, Enyimba FC posed more of a threat.


    For 20 minutes, Lobi Stars stayed defiant, defending valiantly but in the end, the game was not destined to end in a draw.


    Again, it was another moment of individual brilliance from a familiar name.


    Dribbling across the middle of the pitch with the ball, Sam skipped past a few challenges before passing the ball to the left where Chijioke ran.


    Receiving the ball, the Enyimba left winger easily beat his marker, ran deeper into the Lobi Stars'' half before ying a cut back pass to Sam.


    Sam didn''t think, hitting the ball first time with the inside of his weaker left foot as the ball rose and curved past the outstretched arms of the Lobi Stars'' goalkeeper into the embrace of the.


    In the 85th minute, Enyimba FC finally took the lead.


    "GOALLLL¡­!" Roaring loudly, Sam charged towards the corner g before sliding on his knees as he pointed in the direction of the Enyimba FC bench.


    He also dedicated his goal to his captain.


    For the final minutes of the game, Lobi Stars finally abandoned defending as they came out, trying to create a miracle and equalize in the dying minutes of the game but Enyimba FC remained defensively disciplined, not giving them an inch.


    After 90 plus 7 minutes, the game finally came to an end.


    Enyimba FC won 2-1.


    The headline today was not about the victory though, rather, it was about the injury that Austin dapo, Enyimba FC''s captain suffered that would keep him out for 2 months.


    The whole squad was affected by the news.


    That same day, at night, the full results of matchday 3 were finally resolved.


    (Matchday 3:)


    >Rivers United 0-0 Bendel Insurance<


    >Date: 18th June, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Sunshine Stars 1-1 Remo Stars<


    >Date: 18th June, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Enyimba 2-1 Lobi Stars<


    >Date: 18th June, 2023<


    With that result, Enyimba FC climbed to the top of the yoff ranking with 6 points in 3 games despite the injury to their captain.


    In 2 days, their next game was against Sunshine Stars.

 Chapter 66: Taking charge

    "Sam, your team won a second straight game in the Super 6 yoffs, but we can''t help but focus on the unfortunate incident that happened today".


    "ording to medical reports, Austin will be out for 2 months, what do you think about that? Do you think Enyimba FC has what it takes to survive without its captain on the pitch?"


    Facing the male reporter, Sam took a deep breath. "First, I will like to say that Austin is the beating heart of our team and we will surely feel his absence".


    "As for if we will be able to survive without our captain," he scratched his hair. "Honestly, I don''t know, I''m no seer but all I can say is that we''re determined to make up for his absence and make him proud in the hospital".


    "That is what he would want".


    "On the pitch, while he was stretchered off, he told me that we needed to win. Well, we won thanks to his blessings".


    "We hope to do the same and win in his absence".


    "The team is determined to win the league title for him".


    "Ok Sam, so who do you think will now take the captain''s armband after Austin''s injury? Farouk? Or maybe Ojo, they''re all old and experienced yers".


    Sam shook his head. "It''s not my ce to worry about who will lead the team as the captain, that''s the coach''s duty. My duty is to y football".


    "Ok Sam, thanks for having me, I wish you and your team sess in your quest to win the league title again".


    "Thanks".


    That evening, after they met up in the hotel where they lodged, Coach Yemi Danial gathered his yers before making an important announcement.


    "After a lot of thinking, I''ve arrived at a decision".


    "As the vice-captain, originally, Farouk is supposed to lead the team next as the captain but I value morale a lot on the pitch".


    "I love my captains to lead more by example than being vocal".


    "I spoke with Farouk and he already agreed". Coach Yemi Daniel looked round at his yers. "For the rest of the season, I''ve decided to give Sam the captain''s armband in Austin''s absence".


    "But this is just his first season!" Olisemained immediately. "It''s not fair to the other yers who''ve stayed in the team longer".


    Coach Yemi Daniel was not having it though. "My decision is final".


    In actuality, Olisema was the only yer who was truly against it, the other yers either didn''t care or were in full support of it.


    When the news was confirmed to the media, it created a storm, putting the spotlight on Enyimba FC as for some time, they forgot about Austin''s injury, focusing on Sam''s captainship instead.


    Captaining a club as storied as Enyimba FC at just 17 was immense. Sam felt the pressure weighing down on him, but he didn''t buckle due to it.


    Most importantly, Austin encouraged him from the hospital.


    In 2 days'' time, Sam already epted his leadership role fully and when he stepped foot on the pitch again against Sunshine Stars, he took charge.


    With Austin injured, it was clear that Sunshine Stars came with ideas, ying bold and attacking football against Enyimba FC and for the first half, they seeded as they mostly dominated possession.


    Despite thebative disy from both teams, ying 5 games in 9 days was no easy feat, the yers showed clear signs of lethargy and fatigue.


    The first half ended in a goalless draw.


    In the second half though, while the yers of both teams yed even more lethargically due to fatigue, one yer shone brightly above all the others, Samuel Moses again.


    Knowing that the game would be tough and also acknowledging that he was not physically at 100%, this was the reason why he used 1 of the physical conditioning elixirs that he had in his inventory for this game.


    In the second half, as the others sumbed to the fatigue, he thrived.


    Sam terrorized the Sunshine Stars'' defense in the second half, assisting the first goal in the 54th minute and scoring 2 goals in quick session in the 73rd and 75th minute sessively to give Enyimba FC a decisive victory.


    Sunshine Stars scored ate goal but by then, it was just a constion goal.


    The game ended 1-3 in Enyimba FC''s favor and with the victory, they firmly stood at the top of the yoff rankings with 9 points in 4 games.


    And considering that it was the highest-scoring game of the yoffs so far, the critics who took jabs at Enyimba FC, predicting their fall with Austin dapo''s absence and the rash decision to make Sam captain all grew silent.


    Sam convinced, leading by example in his first game as captain.


    The full matchday 4 results were soon ready.


    (Matchday 4:)


    >Remo Stars 1-0 Rivers United<


    >Date: 20th June, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Sunshine Stars 1-3 Enyimba<


    >Date: 20th June, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Bendel Insurance 0-0 Lobi Stars<


    >Date: 20th June, 2023<


    Considering that the nearest club to them in the rankings were Lobi Stars and Remo Stars with 5 points each, with 9 points, Enyimba FC already won the league title but the 5th game of the yoffs still had to be yed.


    In their hotel, the yers already celebrated their league victory as they made a video call, making sure that their captain, Austin joined in from the hospital.


    After that, they resumed preparations for theirst game of the Super 6 yoffs that would take ce in 2 days against Remo Stars.


    That night, veryte before sleeping, Sam called his mom.


    Having watched the game today alongside the rest of her family, Mrs. Moses was concerned to see her son''s call thatte when usually, he was supposed to be long asleep already to wake up fresh for the new day.


    "Hey Sam, are you ok?"


    His mom was fiery but there were times when she was sensitive too, and this night was one of those times. Hearing her calm voice, Sam took a deep breath.


    "I''m good, I just feel very exhausted". He sighed.


    "It''s so exhausting to live like this. It''s almost like I don''t have a life of my own, every day, it''s just football, media, and fans, nothing else".


    "I''m beginning to feel suffocated".


    "I feel like I''m in a moving train and I can''t afford to stop. You know, if I stop, I lose grasp of my dreams. I want to hold on but it''s proving so hard".


    Mrs. Moses sat up on her bed. "Son, listen to me. I''m very proud of everything you''ve achieved so far, but in the end, your happinesses first".


    "If you feel you can''t continue, I''m here for you, just say the word and I''ll be in Abia State tomorrow morning".


    "Don''t be scared of that coach of yours, he''s a few years too young to stop me from helping my son!"


    "If he''s overworking you, tell me, I''ll call him now!"


    Hearing her voice start to rise, Sam was not irked, rather, he smiled. ''Typical mom,'' he thought.


    He chuckled. "Mom, it''s fine, just promise that you''ll always support me no matter what happens".


    "You know I will".


    "Promise". He insisted.


    "I promise".


    "Thank you, mom, I love you".


    "I love you too".


    That night, Sam slept feeling like a huge burden just left his chest.


    He was ready to face his career again.

 Chapter 67: Winning the double- NPFL league champions

    Sleep, wake up,plete daily system quest, join his teammates and train with their coach, go back to his hotel room, and repeat; for the next 2 days, this was Sam''s routine in Lagos like usual.


    It was hectic, it was emotionally draining but this was the sacrifice that professional football yers had to make to pursue their dreams.


    And like the rolling pages of a book, swiftly, the days passed and in no time, it was the D-day again, thest matchday of the Super 6 yoffs.


    Rivers United went up against Lobi Stars, Sunshine Stars went up against Bendel Insurance, while Enyimba went up against Remo Stars again in the deciding game of the Super 6 yoffs.


    Since losing Austin to injury, Coach Yemi Daniel already tweaked the formation of his team a bit from the normal bnced 4-3-3 formation and for this game against Remo Stars, he tweaked it again.


    Incredibly, Olisema was not in the starting line-up, starting in the bench.


    From the bnced 4-3-3 formation, for this game, Coach Yemi Daniel switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation where Farouk started alongside the back-up defensive midfielder of Enyimba FC in the defensive midfield positions.


    Emeka was the sole striker at the front of the formation, while behind him were Chijioke, Sam, and Victor.


    It was another bnced formation but one that enabled Coach Yemi to bring out the best in his avable yers since he no longer had an elite center midfielder like Austin to control and rotate possession in the middle of the park.


    FWEEEE!


    When the game started, Enyimba FC yed their normal football but Remo Stars was extra aggressive today. Enyimba FC may not need the points today anymore, but they needed it.


    The yoffs game was not just about the team that would lift the trophy, it was also about the top 3 teams that wouldpete in next season''s continentalpetition, the CAF champions league.


    With this motivation, Remo Stars yed with great intensity.


    For most of the first half, they ran after the ball as Enyimba FC controlled possession but they wore the Enyimba yers out, mostly exhausting them physically with their high press till one of them misced a pass.


    Pouncing on it in the 43rd minute of the game, the Remo Stars attacking striker unleashed a rocket shot from just outside the box.


    Ojo dived but he could not do much as the ball snuck past him into the.


    Against the run of y, Remo Stars led in thest yoff game. The game went to half-time with Enyimba FC losing, but this champion team was not ready to give up so easily despite the fact that they already won the trophy.


    In the second half, Coach Yemi made a change, taking out the backup defensive midfielder for Olisema, ying with a 2-man attacking midfield formation. It was radical but it bore fruit.


    Just 5 minutes into the second half, Enyimba FC scored.


    Who else but the African Zidane?


    Receiving a pass from Olisema just outside the box, Sam wriggled past a few challenges. Though he already noticed it since, he could not help but appreciate how easier it was for him to dribble through yers now.


    The only thing affecting him was fatigue, but he dug through it.


    Nutmegging a yer and using a croqueta to skip past the next, he took a nce at goal, raised his leg before hitting the ball with venom.


    BAM!


    The ball rushed through the green grass, tearing a few apart and into the air as it nestled into the bottom left corner of the post.


    The Remo Stars goalkeeper dived but he didn''t stand a chance.


    For the remaining parts of the second half, Enyimba FC tried yet they could not breakthrough the Remo Stars defense a second time. In the 80th minute of the game, Coach Yemi subbed Sam out as he felt some difort.


    And with that, Enyimba FC simply watched the game out, maintaining the 1-1 score line to make it 10 points from 5 games.


    FWEEEE!


    Immediately after the final whistle blew, Sam ran back into the pitch alongside his coach as he hugged his teammates, celebrating wildly.


    The 2022/2023 NPFL season finally came to an end and with it, Enyimba FC were crowned champions.


    They already won the double, lifting the league title and the CAF champions league trophy. And with the Nigerian FA cup still on the line, they still had the chance to make it a treble, truly capping off a historic season.


    Immediately after the game, the yers hit the road again as they returned to Abia State where the celebrations truly kicked off.


    Due to the hype and circumstances surrounding their CAF champions league victory, a lot of publicity was already around Enyimba FC and their yers and after returning to Abia State, they did an open-bus celebration through the city of Aba.


    Of course, before then, Sam alreadymunicated with his family through a video call as they celebrated his achievement with him.


    Mr. Moses was extremely emotional, the man felt like a warrior who finally achieved his life''s mission. "Now, I can finally die in peace". He said.


    "Die and leave me a widow?!" His wife snapped. "You must be joking! Come here!"


    "Come on, I didn''t mean it".


    Well, he had a lot of exnation to do.


    Sam and his sisterughed at the bickering couple. In the end, after arriving at Abia State, he couldn''t keep up the video call as he joined his teammates and their fans in celebrating their incredible victory.


    Unfortunately, Austin couldn''t join them yet as the hospital was yet to release him. He could only follow the proceedings through a video call.


    Leading the fans on this time as they celebrated, Sam told them to chant their captain''s name and they obeyed.


    "Austin!"


    "Austin!"


    "Austin!"


    The atmosphere was crazy throughout the city of Aba as tens of thousands of fans celebrated their team''s victory excitedly.


    It was almost as if they didn''t even care about the FA cup anymore.


    Well, they did had to care though as after hours of celebrating, Coach Yemi Daniel, the ever ready disciplinarian dragged his yers off to rest.


    "We still have a little football to y".


    "After, you can celebrate all you want".


    The yers groaned but they respected their coach''s wishes.


    And coincidentally, their next matchup of the Nigerian FA cup was a blockbuster knock-out encounter against their bitter rivals, teau United.

 Chapter 68: A minor setback after a major victory

    Since the Nigerian FA cup was a straight knock-out tournament, Coach Yemi Daniel fielded his strongest avable starting line-up for the next game.


    And since they yed their opponents at home, they had an advantage.


    FWEEEE!


    From the first whistle, it became clear that one of the Enyimba FC yers didn''t let up yet and was still in the form of his life, the yer in question being Samuel Moses as he dominated the first half.


    In this game, Sam yed at his best again, terrorizing the teau United backline as the fans kept on chanting his name.


    "Sam!" "Sam!" "Sam!"


    In the first half alone, he created 8 clear-cut chances but his teammates were unable to capitalize and score to give Enyimba FC the lead.


    He tried going for it alone a few times but considering that a yer was assigned to man-mark him, he did not have the chance to enter dangerous positions, forced to settle with creating chances for his teammates instead.


    At thest minute of additional time of the first half though, something horrible happened as with the ball, holding possession, Sam tried to y another defense-splitting pass when a teau United yer charged in with his boots high to intercept the pass.


    Sam saw the danger, he tried to dodge at thest moment but it was already toote as this yer''s boot hit him square on his knee, pushing it back.


    Sam jerked before copsing on the pitch.


    Thud!


    As soon as he copsed on the pitch, he felt his world go dark as he was overwhelmed by a wave of pain like a tide.


    Sam was in so much pain that he couldn''t even scream.


    He heard thudding sounds as his teammates charged towards him, he heard them shout, angrily shing with the teau United yers and he noticed some of them run to his position, checking on him before calling for the medical staff.


    "Sam! Are you ok? Can you hear me?"


    "Hey! Sam, are you ok?" Their voice was distorted.


    Enyimba International Stadium was silenced as the home fans, horrified, could only ce their hands on their heads, praying and hoping against the worst.


    Sam was unresponsive though. The medical staff soon stretchered him off the pitch in a hurry even as the packed stadium stayed silent.


    And with it, the referee finally responded, handing the teau United who flew on the tackle a straight red card. The yer didn''tin, knowing the severity of what he did as he walked out of the pitch.


    The referee signaled for the Enyimba FC coach to make his changes.


    On the touchline, Coach Yemi Daniel had his hands on his head, watching as his best yer was stretchered off the pitch.


    This coach''s head was spinning in circles. ''Why?'' He thought.


    ''Why?!''


    ''F*ck! Why?!''


    "Coach, we need to make a change". His assistant reminded.


    "Oh, yes, we need to make a change," he looked at his assistant before ncing at where his yer was stretchered towards away from the pitch. "You do it, put Emmanuel on the pitch".


    "I''m leaving everything to you".


    Right there, Coach Yemi Daniel abandoned everything, his team, the fans, and the Nigerian FA cup and followed the stretcher into the ambnce as Sam was rushed to the hospital.


    By the time the ambnce moved, Sam was already unconscious. They didn''t know if it was because of the pain or another thing.


    Arriving at the nearest hospital, the doctor quickly attended to him and the fears were ayed.


    Coach Yemi Daniel was pacing around when the doctor met him.


    "You''re Yemi Daniel right?"


    "Yes, sir, please, how is he?"


    The doctor smiled. "He suffered a regr knee injury".


    "How long will he take to recover?"


    "A month, maybe 2, depending on how resilient his body is but considering that he''s just 17, I think it will be 2 months".


    "I read the report, ying a 17-year-old in so many games, you really overworked his young legs".


    Coach Yemi Daniel scratched his hair awkwardly. "I know doctor, and that''s why I feel so guilty. I should have rested him in more games".


    "It''s fine," the doctor waved his hand dismissively. "He''ll recover".


    "He''s still asleep, you can check up on him when he wakes up".


    "Thank you, doctor, I appreciate it".


    Coach Yemi Daniel was about to enter the hospital room when he heard a phone ring. It was not his ringing tone though. Looking at it, it was Sam''s phone.


    (Iing call from Best Mom¡­)


    Seeing the name on the screen, this middle-aged coach gulped, but then he picked the call only to be exposed to a barrage.


    "Sam! Sam, is that you?"


    "Where are you?"


    "How are you doing?"


    "Ma, it''s me, your son''s coach".


    "You evil man!" Mrs. Moses screeched. "What did you do to my son? I said it, you never had good intentions for him from the beginning!"


    "What did you do to my son?"


    "Ma''am, please calm down¡­"


    "Don''t tell me to calm down, where is my son? Where is he?!"


    On the phone, she was already crying. "They''ve done it! All these envious witches and wizards, they won! They''ve gotten my son!"


    "Oh God, what did I do to deserve this?"


    "I didn''tmit a crime to let my son y football, God why?!" She wailed.


    Coach Yemi Daniel forced himself to stay calm. "Ma''am, we''re in the Aba General Hospital, your son is fine, he just suffered an injury¡­"


    "Don''t tell me that! Don''t tell me that after¡­"


    There was some struggling noise, then another scream. "Moses, give me back my phone! How dare you¡­?" Her voice was cut off.


    "Coach Yemi, it''s me, Sam''s father".


    "Oh, good evening sir, how are you doing?"


    "I''m fine, please how is my son?"


    "He''s fine now, the doctor said he suffered a knee injury, he''ll take a few months to recover".


    "Oh, good, I feared for the worst". Mr. Moses chuckled. "We''re on our way to Abia State now, please wait for us".


    "Ok, sir".


    "About my wife, sorry¡­"


    "Don''t worry, I understand, this is not my first time dealing with women". Coach Yemi Daniel chuckled.


    "Thank you for understanding".


    And with that, Mr. Moses finally cut the call.


    Sitting alongside Sam''s bed in the hospital room, Coach Yemi Daniel finally opened his phone and paid attention to his team''s game.


    The game already went to extra-time.


    Despite ying teau United with a man down, with Sam gone, Enyimba FC became clueless in attack,cking teeth. The 90 minutes of full-time ended with the game still goalless.


    He watched all extra-time on his phone. Despite having the numbers advantage on the pitch, Enyimba FC failed to capitte on their chances as the game went to penalties.


    Coach Yemi Daniel watched agonizingly as his team lost on penalties to teau United. It was a valiant teau United performance in Enyimba''s home.


    This coach sighed. "It was not meant to be".


    Just after winning the double of the CAF champions league and the NPFL title, Enyimba FC suffered a minor setback right after as they were knocked out of the 2022/2023 season iteration of the Nigerian FA cup.

 Chapter 69: Incredible support

    In just one evening, Enyimba FC''s hopes of a historic treble were dashed in the most agonizing fashion.


    Despite losing to their bitter rivals in the FA cup at home, the Enyimba FC fans were not concerned with that though, nor were they concerned about losing the treble, rather, they were more concerned about their star attacking midfielder.


    The moment that Sam copsed on the pitch, the Enyimba International Stadium as a whole seemed toe to a standstill.


    The fans were petrified, horrified by thoughts of the worst-case scenario.


    Fortunately, and unfortunately for them, Sam did suffer an injury but it was not as serious as they feared. It was a regr knee injury and after a month or 2 of rehabilitation, Sam would be fit again to kick a football, barringplications.


    Immediately after the game, while teau United celebrated an historic victory in their bitter rival''s home stadium, the Enyimba FC fans instead flooded social media with support for their star attacking midfielder.


    Not just on social media, a troop of fans also marched to the general hospital where Sam was admitted, showing their support in their own unique ways.


    They carried different banners with them.


    (Sam, we love you!)


    (You''ll always be Zinedine Sam to us! Remember that no matter what happens, we the fans are here for you, we love you!)


    (Get well soon champ! You''re stronger than this!)


    (Can''t wait to see you on the pitch again, much love man!)


    Among the group of supporters was a small girl who carried a banner that was bigger than her. Sitting on her dad''s shoulders, she held the banner.


    (Sam, thank you for ying for my daddy''s club, you made my dad happy and I''m happy too. Please recover fast, I want my dad to be happy!)


    When the Moses family finally arrived in Abia State, arriving at the Aba General Hospital, they quickly discovered that they were not the first toe.


    Seeing dozens of fans gathered outside the hospital premises with support banners for her son, Mrs. Moses was bbergasted.


    Watching her son copse on the pitch, this woman almost had a heart attack and immediately, she started ming her vige people and haters. She even broke down in tears, ming herself for letting him y football.


    She agitated for the whole family to go meet her son in the hospital. Mr. Moses had to take permission from his work ce before taking his family on his car. On arriving now though, she was left speechless.


    She looked at her husband. "Is¡­ this normal?"


    Mr. Moses shrugged. "It''s not normal here in Nigeria but in Europe and European clubs, fans show their support to their star yers when they''re injured".


    "Wow!" She was amazed.


    In the end, they didn''t know who recognized them but among the fans, but one of them recognized them. "It''s Sam''s family, that''s her mom!"


    Some of the fans approached them, spooking the middle-aged woman.


    "Here," a little boy of maybe 5 or 6 years old handed a food sk to her. "I begged my mom to make my favorite food for Sam. Please give it to him, it''ll help him recover faster".


    Staring this boy in the eye and seeing the look on his face, Mrs. Moses was amazed, she could not bring herself to reject the boy. She took the food sk.


    "Promise me you''ll give the food to him".


    "¡­"


    "Please".


    "Ok". She nodded, and smiled, surprisingly. "I''ll give it to him".


    "Tell him to get well soon!" Happier now, the boy said with a grin.


    Mrs. Moses smiled, and then, surprisingly, she addressed the fans. "Don''t worry, Sam is fine. The doctor said he suffered a knee injury, my husband told me that it''s normal in football, I think". She shrugged.


    "Don''t worry," her smile widened. "His mother is here now; I''ll take care of my son so he''ll recover soon enough".


    "Thank you, ma''am".


    Being the recipient of so much attention and love, Mrs. Moses felt weird. Her son was injured but somehow, she felt on top of the world, it was a strange feeling.


    Walking into the hospital alongside her family, her mood already changed, she had a cheeky grin on her face.


    Mr. Moses coughed, stealing a nce at his wife. "Are you truly my wife? Are you sure you''re not an impostor?"


    "Who was the one screaming and wailing that her son is dead, howe you''re smiling all of a sudden?"


    Mrs. Moses red at her husband.


    He coughed again. "I''m just saying".


    "Shut up!" She snapped.


    Throughout, Sophia never said a word. She was tensed during the journey from Delta State here but after the experience outside the hospital, this girl was now giddy, she could not wait to meet her brother.


    Entering the hospital, Mrs. Moses led the way and walked directly past Coach Yemi Daniel without even sparing the coach a nce.


    "Hey," the coach ended up dropping his hand awkwardly.


    Mr. Moses apologized. "Don''t mind my wife, she gets like that sometimes".


    "I understand". Coach Yemi chuckled. "It''s her son we''re talking about after all, women get emotional, she carried him in her womb for 9 months".


    Mr. Moses grinned. "Thank you, coach". He said seriously. "You joining him personally to the hospital, it means a lot to me, I appreciate it".


    Coach Yemi Daniel scratched his hair. "It''s partly my fault that he got injured, so you know, my conscience could not let me leave him alone".


    "I''m d". Mr. Moses smiled, and then, he joined his family inside.


    Inside, Sam was already awake, already wolfing down on the food that the little fan outside gave to him.


    Mr. Moses was bbergasted as he red at his wife. "Sarah! Really?! You really gave him the food?"


    "That was a random fan outside, what if the food was poisoned?"


    Mrs. Moses waved her hand dismissively, staring at her husband with that ''are you dense'' gaze. "You really think that sweet boy will poison our son?" She shook her head. "You really are a man, you think like bulls at times, leave this to the women".


    "¡­" Mr. Moses was left speechless.


    He opened and closed his mouth, in the end, he simply walked up to his son. "Hey champ, how are you feeling?"


    Sam grinned. "I feel great!"


    While they had family time, Coach Yemi Daniel left outside to meet the group of reporters that were waiting for him due to the fan reception outside.


    He was going to give an interview.

 Chapter 70: An interview

    Walking outside the hospital, Coach Yemi Daniel waved to acknowledge the fans before standing with the female reporter and her crew.


    "Thank you for having us coach". The reporter smiled. "I''m sorry about the horrifying incident today at your home stadium, how is Sam doing?"


    Coach Yemi Daniel smiled. "The boy is fine; he already woke up and is currently spending time with his family".


    "Oh, that''s good to hear".


    "Coach, there are rumors on the inte, do you think Sam sustained this injury because you overyed him?"


    "I didn''t overy him". Coach Yemi shook his head. "I y Sam in games because he is that good, there are older yers on the bench but he starts games because he has the ability to".


    "Even as he is injured, if you ask him, he''ll tell you that he''s d he yed all the games that he yed this season".


    "I do admit I should have managed his minutes better".


    "Does that mean you agree that the injury is your fault?"


    Now, Coach Yemi was slightly irritated. He stared at the reporter. "If that''s what you want, a scapegoat, then yes, I was responsible for the injury".


    "The same way I''m also responsible for Austin''s injury and every other injury that hit the squad, are you satisfied now?"


    The reporter coughed. "It''s illuminating to hear your thoughts".


    "What of today''s game? People are not paying attention to it but we can''t help but highlight your reaction to Sam''s injury".


    "With all due respect sir, you literally abandoned the game, your squad, and the fans, deciding to follow your yer to the hospital instead".


    "A certain section of people believe this is why Enyimba FC lost the game today. They believe that if you stayed in the stadium, supporting your team through the difficult period, Enyimba FC would have won".


    Coach Yemi Daniel stared at the female reporter, then he replied. "If Austin was not injured, we would not have won the league title".


    "Pardon?"


    "Just stop with this your little games, it irks me".


    "Enyimba FC already had a legendary season that is forever etched in our history. Last season, we went trophy less, then I didn''t see you asking so many questions. But this season, we managed to win the double, winning the 2 biggest trophies that we''repeting for".


    "All this was because of Sam''s contributions on the pitch".


    "Like you said, the fans didn''tin about the loss today because unlike you, they acknowledge his help throughout the season and the role he yed in Enyimba FC winning the double".


    "Sam didn''t suffer a normal injury, my yer literally passed out on the pitch and you expect me to stay focused on the game?"


    "I know I''m obligated by a contract to prioritize the club first, but I''m also human, my humanity urged me to prioritize my injured yer in that moment".


    "You may not know but I scouted Sam myself. I met him ying in the suburbs of Abraka, I brought him here to Enyimba FC myself!"


    "I promised his father that I would take care of him".


    "So yes, I owe him that much".


    "If anybody is dissatisfied with my decision, they can take it up with me".


    "My team losing today in his absence is another indication of the incredible role that he yed throughout the season. I don''t care if you see it, I see it".


    "Sam had a legendary debut professional season, so yes, he deserves everything, including the fan support that''s he''s currently receiving. I think the fans would agree with us".


    "YES!" The fans outside chorused loudly.


    "See?"


    "Miss reporter, if you don''t have any questions for me, I think it''s time I take my leave, I want to check up onest time on my yer before leaving".


    The female reporter nodded awkwardly. "Thank you for having us coach".


    "Don''t mention". Coach Yemi Daniel walked out on her.


    Returning to the hospital room where his yer was kept, Coach Yemi knocked before entering only to meet the family of 4 dining together.


    On the bed, Sam was on a video call at this moment.


    ''That voice,'' he recognized it. ''That is his best friend, right?''


    Coach Yemi walked up to his yer, being careful to avoid his mother''s path. "Tough guy," he called, grinning. "For a moment there, you made me really scared you know".


    Sam chuckled. "That bastard got me good, I can''t believe I fainted".


    Coach Yemiughed. "So, how are you feeling?"


    "I feel great, thanks to you, my family, and the fans". He grinned.


    "I shouldn''t be disturbing you with that right now, you need to rest but I feel as one of the important cogs making the wheel of Enyimba FC move, you deserve to know".


    "We lost the game, on penalties".


    "I know," Sam''s shoulders dropped in dejection. "My father told me".


    Coach Yemiughed. "Don''t feel down, it''s not your fault".


    Sam sighed. "I just really had such high hopes of winning a treble in my first professional season that to lose it at thest moment, it pricks a bit".


    "It''s normal, you''ll get used to it, every football yer gets used to the feeling of losing trophies in their career".


    "Atletico Madrid of Spain have lost the UEFA Champions League final to their city neighbors; Real Madrid I think 2 or 3 times".


    "Just think of that".


    Sam grimaced. "That''s awful".


    Coach Yemi chuckled. "And at least, we''re not Arsenal who bottled the league after such a huge lead on Manchester City at some point in the season".


    Sam chuckled, feeling better. "You''re right".


    Coach Yemi looked at his wristwatch. "It''s alreadyte, I think I''ll take my leave now. I still have a squad of yers waiting for me in the stadium, I also need to give them first-hand information on your condition".


    "Ok," Sam nodded. "Please help me thank the fans for their support as you leave, tell them that I''m fine".


    "I would have gone myself but the doctor forbade me from leaving the bed".


    "I understand". Coach Yemi nodded.


    Just as the coach was about to leave, there was a beeping sound.


    Beep!


    (NEW! 1 Unread Message!)


    Immediately after taking a look at his phone, without reading the full contents of the message yet, Mr. Moses raised his head and looked straight at Coach Yemi Daniel.


    The coach shifted. "What?"


    "It''s a delegation from Lille".


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    "¡­..!"

 Chapter 71 First European contact

    Beep!


    (NEW! Unread Message!)


    (Good day Mr. Moses.)


    (This is a congrattory message to celebrate the achievements of your son and client throughout the 2022/2023 football season.)


    (We here at Lille Olympique Sporting Club have a habit of appreciating talent and we could not help but notice your son''s performances for Enyimba FC, mostly the iconic performances in the CAF champions league.)


    (We believe that Sam is made for the top, we wish him a great career ahead and once again, congrattions. We hope he recovers from his injury soon enough.)


    (Sender: LOSC)


    After reading the contents of the message that he just received, Mr. Moses was bbergasted as he threw a nce at his son''s coach before focusing on Sam.


    He was feeling an emotion at this moment, but for some reason, he suppressed it. It was definitely because of Coach Yemi Daniel who was present.


    Coach Yemi coughed. "Umm, what did you say? You received a message from a delegation from Lille? By Lille, you mean the French Ligue 1 club?"


    "Yes". Mr. Moses nodded.


    Coach Yemi Daniel''s eyes turned sharp immediately, Sam''s eyes gleamed.


    The 2 women in the hospital room, not understanding what the hell was going on could only stare, wild guesses flying through their heads.


    "Sir, please, can I see it?" Coach Yemi requested politely.


    Mr. Moses stared at the middle-aged coach, and then with a sigh, he handed his phone over for the coach to go through the message.


    Reading through the message, Coach Yemi Daniel heaved a sigh of relief, but at the same time, he also sighed tiredly. "It''s just his first professional season and the big hitters are already at alert, sigh¡­"


    Coach Yemi looked at his yer''s father. "It''s just first contact but the fact that they made contact in the first ce means they''ve been scouting Sam for some time already, maybe their scout was even present in one of the CAF champions league knock-out games".


    He sighed. "I signed a 2-year contract with your son, hoping that at the very least, he could spend 2 years with me before going to greener pastures".


    "I guess I''ll likely say goodbye earlier than I expected".


    He sighed again. "Thanks for showing me the message again, Mr. Moses. I appreciate it. I''ll inform the club so we''ll be prepared for any European approach".


    "Wee coach, it''s fine, you''ve treated my son well just like you promised, I at least owe you that much".


    Coach Yemi smiled and with that, he stepped out of the room.


    "Dad, give me, give me!" An impatient Sam demanded immediately after his coach left the room as he took his father''s iPhone and read through the message.


    Once he was done reading through it, a look of pride blossomed across his face. "Yes!" He whooped excitedly.


    "What happened?" Mrs. Moses asked, still confused.


    Mr. Moses looked at his wife. "Your son was just approached by one of the biggest clubs in France".


    Her eyes widened. "An overseas club?"


    "Yes".


    "Does that not mean more money? Bigger career?"


    Mr. Moses smiled. "Yes".


    "Halleluiah!" She jumped, celebrating excitedly. "Sam, you''re about to blow!"


    "Football is not so bad after all," sheughed.


    It was just first contact, nothing concrete yet, no talk about a contract yet but to Sam, it meant the whole world.


    The only bumming fact was that it was not the perfect story that he scripted in his head. ''I wish it was FC Barcelona''. He thought.


    ''But there''s still time''. He thought, motivated already at the thought of recovering from his injury and returning to the pitch.


    After crashing out of the FA cup, the season for Enyimba FC finally came to an end which meant an extended break for the yers to rx and recover from the grueling schedule of football.


    European football would start in early August, and considering that it was still justte June, this meant that Sam still had about a month to hope for his beloved football club to contact him.


    ''I wonder if I did enough this season to attract their attention''.


    ''I hope''. He clenched his fists. ''I''ll even seek the system''s help if that''s what I need for it to be FC Barcelona''.


    "What are you thinking of?" At that point, Mr. Moses interrupted his son.


    "Nothing," Sam smiled. "Just thinking of Barca".


    Hearing that, Mr. Moses grinned. "That''s my ultimate dream too, son".


    A few minutester, the nurse came back, stressing the need for the patient to rest properly so he would recover faster.


    Sam slept about a dozen more minutester.


    ¡­


    Returning to the Enyimba International Stadium, to Coach Yemi Daniel''s surprise, all his yers were still at the stadium waiting for him, including his assistant coach as they got remote information about Sam''s condition.


    Entering the dressing room, Coach Yemi Daniel faced his yers with a big smile on his face. "It was a hugely sessful season". He said.


    "We achieved all our goals, the league title, and more importantly, the CAF Champions League for the 3rd time in the history of the club. Without the FA cup, it''s still a legendary season in Nigerian football history".


    "Let''s savor it boys and not linger on today''s defeat".


    "Tomorrow, we''ll start our open-bus parade officially to celebrate a sessful end to the season with our 2 trophies".


    "Today, all I want from you is to go home, rx, do anything you want and tomorrow morning, meet me here in the stadium for the celebration".


    "Andstly, Sam is fine". He smiled.


    "Let''s make tomorrow exciting for him and Austin!"


    The yers cheered, apuding excitedly as some of them brought out the wine that they hid since, bursting the champagne.


    Through it all, they recorded themselves,ter uploading it for their fans.


    With that, the 2022/2023 season officially came to an end for Enyimba FC. It was a legendary and highly sessful season in the history of not just the club, but the history of Nigerian football.


    Every single yer in the squad just got their CVs bumped, including Sam. Discover stories with empire


    In his system status tab, he now had a tab for major career trophies, and it was updated with the NPFL trophy and the CAF champions league trophy.

 Chapter 72 Holiday

    A few weeks after the end of the 2022/2023 NPFL season and as the champions were decided, the NPFL released a publication on social media concerning the uing 2023/2024 football season.


    The news was also publicized by major Nigerian news channels.


    (NTA News Story!)


    (BREAKING NEWS!)


    (After a lot of nning by the administration, the schedule for the 2023/2024 NPFL season has been decided.)


    (The league will go back to the regr 38-matchday seasonal schedule, and the season starts on 9th September, 2023.)


    (Together, let''s make Nigerian football great again!)


    Immediately after the publication, all the clubs and yers of the NPFL finally knew how much holiday time they had to rest and unwind in preparation for the new season. Fortunately, they had more than a month of rest time.


    Additionally, the Nigerian FA cup already came to an end as its winner was concluded after Enyimba FC crashed out of the tournament.


    Against all odds, despite managing to knock Enyimba FC out of the tournament, teau United was unable to ride the momentum forward and get to the final as they fell at just the next round of the tournament.


    In the end, Enugu Rangers and Bendel Insurance made it to the 2022/2023 Nigerian FA Cup final and after a cagey affair, secured a 1-0 win which took their historical tally of FA cup wins to 3, their first win since 1980.


    For Bendel Insurance, it was a historical season.


    And with that final yed, football officially came to an end in Nigeria as the yers of all the clubs finally got time for themselves to rest and recover.


    A particr yer, Sam took advantage of the opportunity to the fullest.


    Since he was still injured and recovering, he would likely not y football yet even after the season started. This was the reason why his parents persuaded him to follow them back to Abraka, Delta State after the doctor approved it.


    That way, Sam got to stay and live with his family again after the events ofst year December 22nd that turned his life upside down.


    Returning to Abraka, Sam soon learned that his life was no longer the same.


    He left as an anonymous youth in the town who loved football, but he returned as a star who just won the CAF Champions League trophy with one of the biggest clubs in the country, Enyimba FC.


    "Hey, bro, is that not Sam?"


    "It''s him! The rumors are true, he really came from Abraka!"


    "Should we approach him?"


    "No, just take a picture of him".


    Since he was always ying football, both at home and being on the road, traveling for away matches, Sam never really got the time to think more about it but now that he was free all of a sudden, he felt the price of stardom.


    It was not fanatical yet but still, it affected his life in subtle ways.


    And of course, Ian, his best friend and his father kept on bragging to the end of the world about him, leaving him embarrassed every single time.


    Sam felt weird. It almost felt like for almost all his life, he was invisible and finally, after bing a star, he became visible to the world.


    People recognized him in the streets, some thought he earned millions, asking him for money and give away in the streets.


    At first, it felt a bit unbearable but Sam soon became used to it. And after he didn''t give anyone money after a few days, they stopped asking.


    In this time, Sam enjoyed life even as his system was lenient. Due to his injury and since he could only walk with a crouch for now, his system put all his daily system quests on hold.


    Talking of system quests, he remembered a series of system notifications that he already opened even before his injury.


    He got them immediately after winning the league title with Enyimba FC, it was the second season system quest hepleted of the original 3 that he was given. Unfortunately, he failed the FA cup season system quest.


    ~----~


    [You havepleted a Season System Quest!]


    [Congrattions! You havepleted Season Quest 1!]


    [You havepleted mission 1: Win the NPFL Championship title with Enyimba FC!]


    [You have been rewarded with +50 Skill Points!]


    [You have been rewarded with a random reward!]


    [Randomizing reward¡­, please wait¡­]


    [Randomizationplete!]


    [You have received a golden card!]


    [Click to open reward card:]


    ¡­


    Sam was familiar with this sequence; he had seen it before when he got a golden card with an image of Ronaldinho that gave him his only legendary inheritance of the stico dribble skill.


    This time, the golden card hovering at the middle of the system interface had a different image of another familiar football face.


    This time, it had the image of the legendary Polish forward, Robert Lewandowski who now plied his trade for FC Barcelona.


    The image was that of a prime Lewandowski donning his FC Bayern Munich jersey. In the image, the legendary Polish striker jumped, suspended in the air as he was in the process of volleying a shot into the.


    Sam was familiar with this image. ''It''s that game!'' His eyes gleamed. ''The one where Lewandowski scored 5 goals within 9 minutes!''


    Sam''s heart tightened in excitement; he already had a hunch about what this random reward would be about. He didn''t hesitate further, clicking on the golden card and immediately, it burst into countless golden specks and from the golden specks came his reward.


    ¡­


    [You have been rewarded with an ability card: Shoot it like Lewy!]


    [Avable card uses: 3]


    [Card Effects:]


    >This card can only be used within a minute after scoring a goal. Once used, for the next 10 minutes, your positioning, shooting technique, and shot power are amplified, granting you an 80% chance of scoring with every shot that you take<


    ¡­


    [You have been rewarded with a +3 increase to 5 random football attributes!] Discover hidden tales at empire


    [Randomizing attribute¡­, please wait¡­]


    [Randomizationplete!]


    [You have been rewarded with a +3 increase to your physicality attribute!]


    [You have been rewarded with a +3 increase to your shooting attribute!]


    [You have been rewarded with a +3 increase to your pace attribute!]


    [You have been rewarded with a +3 increase to your passing attribute!]


    [You have been rewarded with a +3 increase to your defending attribute!]


    [Congrattions! You have met the requirements to level up!]


    [Your overall yer rating has increased to 77!]


    [NOTE: The higher your attributes, the harder it is to increase!]


    ¡­


    yer Attributes:


    *Pace: 76


    *Shot: 75


    *Pass: 79


    *Dribbling: 74


    *Defending: 38


    *Physicality: 66


    *Stamina: 80


    Overall Rating: 77


    ~----~


    Right at that moment, Sam was broken out of his daze as his sister pushed his door open, rushing into his room.


    He was almost irritated before he saw his parents right behind her.


    ''What¡­?''


    "Happy birthday!" They screamed.


    "Huh? It''s my birthday?"

 Chapter 73 Birthday celebration and new season

    "Happy birthday!"


    Sam was surprised. "Huh? It''s my birthday?"


    "Already?!"


    Jumping up from his bed, he opened his phone, checking his date and then, his eyes widened.


    {August 6th}


    Sam was born in August 6th, 2005 and today, he was 18.


    Last year, his birthday came and went in a sh, his family only remembering when it was evening and barely celebrating it, only wishing him happy birthday but this year, it was different.


    After his son''s exploits over the past few months, Mr. Moses was determined to make it a birthday to remember this time.


    "Go get set son, wear beach clothes, we''re going to McCarthy Beach".


    "Really?" Sam was ecstatic.


    "Do I look like I''m joking?"


    Well, by the end of it all, if Sam was asked to describe his 18th birthday celebration in one word, the only word he could think of was memorable.


    Going to the popr beach in Abraka, Delta State, Mr. Moses did not hold back, splurging money to make it memorable for his son.


    They enjoyed themselves, treating themselves to the best food that was on offer at the beach, spending nice time swimming and sunbathing.


    It was not a public celebration per say, just quality family time.


    Personally, to Paul, none of these experiencespared to the excitement of watching his dad y football for the first time in his life.


    In his beach attire, Mr. Moses joined a hastily formed mismatch beach football team that was created haphazardly as he yed beach football alongside other people in the beach.


    Paul was excited to see his dad y, but the score line was not friendly.


    After 50 minutes of football, the team that his father yed for ended up on the wrong side of an 8-0 hammering.


    It was totally embarrassing as Mrs. Moses and Sophiaughed at Mr. Moses till they cried, leaving the man blushing in shame.


    "You greenhorns!" He boasted at his opponents to save face. "None of you can match me in my peak. In my peak, I was called the Abraka Messi".


    "Abraka Messi, pfft!" Theyughed at him and his teammates even more.


    "Just you wait, let my son recover from his injury first, he''ll show you greenhorns what true football feels like".


    In the end, the man who had his ego bruised could only rely on this, shamelessly boasting with his son who yed professional football.


    It was petty but with it, he managed to save some face for himself.


    After an unforgettable day at the beach, they returned home only after it was getting dark and on getting home, they finally presented Sam with his birthday gift.


    "Happy birthday!" They chorused again, unveiling the gift.


    "¡­!" Sam was bbergasted.


    Sitting on the table before him was the familiar box of an iPhone. On top the box, the words iPhone 13 pro max were written.


    Sam''s eyes widened. "Dad! You finally got me an iPhone?"


    "Hehe," this man smiled proudly. "I always told you that you were not big enough to use an iPhone yet. Well, you''re big enough now".


    "Thank you, dad!" Sam hugged his father excitedly.


    Of course, after these past few months of ying football with Enyimba FC, Sam already had the money to get an iPhone 13 pro max for himself but due to his busy football schedule, he never really had the time to pay attention to it.


    Right now, though, he didn''t care about the money, it was the gesture that mattered to him and the event at which he got it.


    The gift made his birthday even more memorable and to cap it off, his mom made his best traditional home-made soup, Banga soup and fufu.


    Sam ate to his fill, finally retreating to bed for the night as a fulfilled man.


    ¡­


    After his birthday, time moved fast to Sam as he spent most of his time at home, eating and being pampered by his parents.


    The days moved fast as football news started circting from Europe.


    After winning an incredible treble, knocking the European Giants, Real Madrid from the champions league in tyrannical fashion with a convincing 4-1 second leg score line after an exciting first leg 1-1 draw, Manchester City were the reigning European champions.


    Not just the reigning European champions, they were reigning European treble winners after snatching the premier league title from Arsenalte, and also winning the FA cup in Wembley stadium, stealing it from their cross-city rivals, Manchester United.


    Manchester City as a club was currently in the best period of its life where it gained a rapid followership on social media and new fans all across the world.


    They were the European club on top of the world.


    During the break after the 2022/2023 season, most of all the news was on Manchester City''s treble, Erling Hand''s incredible debut season, with less attention put on Messi and Argentina''s world cup win in the summer of 2022.


    All this news led to one thing, the balon d''or race for the 2022/2023 football season was heating up and 2 names led at the top, Erling Hand and Lionel Messi.


    More attention was also put on Rodri after his incredible disys during Manchester City''s historic run, including his Champions league final winning goal.


    He was also in the running for the balon d''or, the first time in more than a decade since a defensive midfielder was truly in the running for the balon d''or.


    In the transfer market, European clubs were also active as the headlines were led by Real Madrid''s capture of the English midfielder, Jude Bellingham after a summer of spection.


    Another club that stole the headlines in the summer was Chelsea FC.


    After the change of ownership from Roman Abramovich, Todd Boehly, the new Chelsea owner and billionaire clearly came with big ambitions as he splurged money, acquiring the services of the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk and Enzo Fernandez amongst other big-name transfers.


    Another transfer that caught the attention of the world was Manchester City''s midfield hero, Ikay Gundogan making the switch from Manchester City to FC Barcelona in Spain.


    While all this happened, Lille stayed in contact with Mr. Moses.


    Despite waiting and hoping though, constantly keeping tab of any news FC Barcelona rted, Sam''s hopes were crushed ruthlessly, Lille remained the only European club that stayed in contact with him.


    And after a few months of rest, a new football season, the 2023/2024 season finally started in the big 5 European leagues.


    It was also at this time that Lille sent their first contract offer to the Nigerian midfielder who just yed his first professional seasonst season.

 Chapter 74 First contract offer from LOSC

    During the holiday period after the conclusion of the 2022/2023 football season, Sam finally made it official, making his father his official agent.


    Every contract-rted issue was to go through his father.


    During the holiday after the first contact from Lille to his star midfielder, returning to his club, Coach Yemi Daniel spoke with the right executives and just 2 weekster, the young midfielder''s contract was upgraded again shortly after the previous upgrade.


    Sam''s monthly sry was upgraded again from 500,000 naira to 1,000,000 naira, and finally, they pped him with an official release use.


    If any club wanted to snap the young midfielder away from Enyimba FC, they would have to trigger his release use of 2 million Euros.


    In the NPFL, it was incredibly rare to see yers with such a significant release use but Sam''s case was special for Enyimba FC, Coach Yemi Daniel influenced the decision.


    To Sam, 2 million Euros was a ridiculous sum of money.


    The figures were too big for him to wrap his head around, so he left everything in his father''s care while he slowly worked his way back to fitness.


    Due to the dy in the start of the NPFL 2022/2023 season, the effects spilled into this new season a bit as the league dyed more than the big 5 European leagues before starting their season.


    Before the NPFL season started, LOSC finally approached Mr. Moses with a professional contract for his client.


    There was no physical representative, just a simple email was sent.


    Mr. Moses broke down the hocus pocus down, and in simple terms, Lille Olympique Sporting Club were offering his client a 10,000 Euros a week sry after triggering his contract use of 2 million Euros.


    They were also offering a signing bonus of 500,000 Euros.


    The delegation from Lille already approached Enyimba FC, trying to bring the release use down but the Nigerian club were unwilling, staying firm with their decision.


    Left with no choice, Lille offered their first contract offer after fulfilling the release use requirements but a certain agent was not satisfied with the offer.


    When converted to Nigerian naira, 10,000 Euros a week was approximately 7,000,000 Nigerian naira a week!


    umted for a month, that was 28,000,000 naira a month!


    20 million was a sum of money that Sam had only ever heard of in numbers before. Compared to his current sry in Enyimba FC of 1,000,000 naira per month, it was a significant upgrade but a certain Mr. Moses was not satisfied yet.


    Insistent that his client was worth more than that, Mr. Moses negotiated for the weekly sry to be increased to at least 30,000 Euros per week while the signing bonus was upgraded to 1,000,000 Euros.


    These figures left Sam dizzy.


    1,000,000 Euros in Nigerian naira was approximately 700 million naira!


    "Dad, what if they withdraw their contract offer?"


    "Then it was not meant for you". Mr. Moses did not seem to know what pressure was at all in the contract negotiations.


    "Calm down Sam. This is my field, leave it to me. If LOSC really wants to sign you, they will agree to my contract terms and even if they can''t, they''ll negotiate".


    "If they don''t, then you''re not fated to y for Lille".


    "Have some faith son".


    Well, for the next few weeks to a month, Lille never responded, leaving Sam incredibly disappointed but with his family there with him, he was able to pick himself up, focusing on the uing season of the NPFL.


    By now, he already recovered from his injury and since the season would start soon, Coach Yemi Daniel already called his yers back to Abia State.


    Despite going to Abia State already, Sam could not train fully with his teammates yet as the coach took it cautiously with him, taking him through light training to ease him back into full fitness.


    By then, Austin was already back to full fitness.


    With his contract situation out of his mind, Sam was able to focus back on his football, working hard on getting back in shape.


    While all these happened, time moved and soon enough, like the fleeting pages of a book, the D-day was here.


    The NPFL 2023/2024 season finally started.


    For matchday 1, Sam was unavable to be selected as Coach Yemi Daniel was unwilling to risk him entering the game.


    Austin started the first game of the season and like expected, Enyimba FC rode the momentum ofst season, blowing their opponents apart with a convincing 4-0 score line away from home to kickstart the new season.


    For the next game, in matchday 2, at home, Sam finally had his return to the pitch as he was introduced in the dying stages of the game.


    He could not chip in with a goal contribution but he yed tidy football, ying his part in another convincing 3-1 win at home.


    And just like that, after 2 games, Enyimba FC were in a familiar position, sittingfortably at the top of the NPFL table.


    For the next game, Sam also started on the bench but finally, on matchday 4, he started his first game of the season for Enyimba FC in their home stadium, the Enyimba International Stadium.


    For that game, the stadium was packed and the atmosphere was electric as the excited fans weed their star midfielder back into the starting XI.


    "Zinedine Sam!"


    "Zinedine Sam!"


    "Zinedine Sam!"


    Chants like this filled the stadium as he lined up alongside his teammates.


    Paul still felt disappointed due to the silence from LOSC, but exposed to the familiar electric atmosphere created by the adoring Enyimba FC home fans again, he smiled, forgetting about the pending contract situation.


    All his mind settled with Enyimba FC again.


    In that game, he finally got his first goal contributions of the 2023/2024 season, scoring an incredible screamer and chipping in with 2 assists in a 4-1 victory at home to collect his first man of the match award of the season.


    "Sam, how do you feel to be back among the goals?"


    Sam smiled amid heavy breathing. "It''s always a nice feeling to score a goal. After my injuryst season, starting this season has been difficult but I''m adapting. I can feel it, I''m rediscovering my best form gradually".


    "Yes," he nodded, still smiling. "It feels good to be back among the goals".


    "What do you think of Enyimba FC this season? After your incredible exploitsst season, there are many betting on your club to flop this season, still affected by the fatigue of ying so many high intensity gamesst season".


    "They predict Enyimba FC to go trophy less, what do you think?"


    Sam grinned. "Soon enough, we''ll bepeting for our first trophy of the season and personally, I won''t bet against my club not winning it".


    "Please, can you rify on what trophy you''re talking about?"


    "The FIFA Club World Cup of course".


    The reporter shifted a bit, signaling his cameraman to pay closer attention. "In case you''ve forgotten Sam, Manchester City on the back of their historic treble season are alsopeting in the Club World Cup".


    "Even with that, do you think your club stand a chance?"


    "You never know," he shrugged. "Don''t count us out just yet".


    "Ok Sam, I''ll pay more attention to the club world cup after this".


    "Anyways, thanks for having me, do have a nice day".


    "You too".

 Chapter 75 4 months...

    Enyimba FC started the 2023/2024 NPFL season on a high.


    The first 4 games of the NPFL season for the Aba-based club was smooth-sailing as they won all 4 matches, sittingfortably at the top of the league table.


    Enyimba FC was still in form, riding the momentum of the previous season but unlikest season though, this time, it didn''tst the whole season.


    The next 3 games after matchday 4 of the NPFL 2023/2024 season, Enyimba FC suffered, showing a drastic switch from their previous form. And all of it was due to a certain game as in the matchday 5 encounter, there was an incident.


    In the first half, Enyimba FC dominated like usual, scoring the first goal in the 18th minute of the game as after an incredible solo run from the halfway line, Chijioke rounded the opposition goalkeeper before scoring an incredible goal.


    Just 5 minutester, Chijioke, the Enyimba left winger doubled his goal tally in the game as he finished off a well-worked Enyimba team move, poking the ball into the past the goalkeeper as Emeka offered the assist.


    By half-time, Enyimba FC led 2-0.


    Second half though was when all hell broke loose.


    For the majority of the second half, Enyimba FC maintained their dominance, dominating possession and creating more chances but in the 57th minute of the game, an incident urred.


    After an ugly collision between 2 yers on the pitch, Farouk was stretchered off the pitch after suffering a muscle injury.


    The injury was not caused by the collision, only aggravated by it. The true cause of the muscle injury was fatigue.


    Coach Yemi Daniel made changes immediately, bringing the backup defensive midfielder of his team but the damage was already done.


    Despite being on the lead with 2 goals already by then, Enyimba FC faltered in away ground, letting 2 oppositionte goals to ruin their night as they settled for a draw, their first of the season.


    Both goals went through the mismatch defensive midfielder that was substituted into the game.


    A furious Coach Yemi Daniel subbed off the midfielder in the dying minutes of the game, introducing Olisema but it did little to change the oue. The damage was already done.


    Despite drawing a game for the first time this season, the media was not focused on that, rather, they were focused on the incident.


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    After the game, the doctors gave their verdict, ruling Farouk Mohamed out for a month and it was clear immediately that it would be a difficult month.


    In their next game, matchday 6, Enyimba FC managed to snatch a narrow 1-0 victory at home but in their matchday 7 encounter away from home, against their bitter rivals, teau United, they suffered their first defeat of the season.


    That extended their rough patch to a draw and a loss in 3 games.


    Enyimba FC suffered without a proper defensive midfielder on the pitch, and though Coach Yemi Daniel tried to improvise, it was not working.


    The backup defensive midfielder just could not do what Farouk did.


    On their 8th game of the season, just before the FA cup started, Coach Yemi Daniel tweaked his team formation again, going for a bnced formation that enabled him to y with 3 center midfielders.


    Sam''s role on the pitch changed, giving him more authority and freedom to roam at the center of the pitch alongside Austin and Olisema.


    Together, they yed as all-purpose center midfielders.


    With this tactical change, the results also changed.


    The goals dried up for Enyimba FC as in the next few games, even as Farouk worked his way back to fitness, they struggled to score goals, drawing a few games and those that they won, they won with close 1-0 and 2-1 score lines.


    But then, the ultimate disaster happened as in one of the FA cup matches, despite winning 3-1, Emeka ended up suffering a knee injury that ruled him out for approximately 2 months.


    To Enyimba FC, this was a true disaster.


    Emeka was the only out and out center forward of the whole squad.


    Just like the pundits predicted, the fatigue of ying so many intense games in the champions leaguest season, ying multiple games across days with little to no rest was taking a toll on the Enyimba FC team.


    It was also because of the fact that this season, Enyimba FCpeted in all major trophies that could be avable to a Nigerian club.


    ying in so manypetitions took its toll on yers.


    As the season progressed, the schedule ramping up even as Farouk came back from injury, fate piled on Enyimba FC''s misery as Austin suffered another setback, a muscr injury.


    And barely just a weekter, Olisema joined him in the injury list.


    Enyimba FC was hit hard by injuries, 3 important yers of the starting XI were kept out of the pitch due to injuries, leaving the team incredibly vulnerable.


    The only yer of the team that could be said to be in tip-top shape this season was Sam. After his injuryst season, once he recovered, he became the only point of consistency for Enyimba FC this season.


    Sam''s numbers may have dropped drasticallypared to his debut season due to the overall drop of the level of his teammates and injuries, including his coach''s tactical tweaks, but his performances never dropped.


    He was still fighting and running himself to the ground every game, contributing in the best way he could and in his day, he dominated imperiously.


    As the season progressed, he showed that he was far above his teammates physically, almost like he was on some crazy diet.


    He was on no diet though.


    Rather, with his physical conditioning elixirs that he got frompleting the daily system quest, Sam was the sole shining light of Enyimba FC, masking an otherwise underwhelming start to the season.


    As the season progressed, they dropped points asionally till they dropped all the way from the top spot to 4th position in the league table.


    During this time, game after game, Sam was the one constant in an Enyimba FC team heavily hit by injuries.


    He was also the only reason why they remainedpeting in all fronts.


    Games that Enyimba FC won, he was the X Factor, stealing memorable victories from the jaws of defeat.


    Games that Enyimba FC drew, he was the anchor that held everything together, preventing his team from capittingpletely under the pressure.


    As for games that Enyimba FC lost, he was almost the only shining light of the team that kept thempeting.


    Like this, the days moved swiftly like the rolling pages of a book.


    The 1st month passed, including the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th months as the season fully matured, growing into its deep stages.


    And finally, it was December¡­


    By now, sitting in 5th position in the league table, Enyimba FC was under a lot of scrutiny from the media but most of it was shelved, temporarily.


    They were shelved because of the footballing event that started in December.


    Due to winning the CAF champions leaguest season, establishing themselves as the best team in all of Africa, Enyimba FC qualified, gaining an exclusive ticket to y in a very important club tournament.


    The FIFA Club World Cup was scheduled to start in December.

 Chapter 76 FIFA Club World Cup [1]

    The FIFA Club World Cup is one of the most respected club tournaments in the world.


    It is a tournament that brings together the champion clubs from each of the six continental confederations, plus a representative from the host nation.


    This time, the host nation for the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup was Saudi Arabia.


    The format of thepetition already undergone various changes over the years, but the typical structure remained the same.


    There were only 7petitors; the UEFA champions league winner from Europe, the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores winner from South America, the CAF champions league winner from Africa, the AFC champions league winner from Asia, the CONCACAF champions league winner from North America, the OFC champions league winner from Oceania, and the host nation''s league champion.


    For the first round of thepetition, the host nation''s representative ys against the champion of the OFC (Oceania).


    In the second round, the winner of the first round joins the champions from CAF (Africa), AFC, (Asia), and CONCACAF (North America). Two knockout football matches are held at this stage to determine the progressors.


    After the second round, the tournament ramps up straight to the semifinals where the winners of the second round meet the UEFA champions league winner and the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores winner who only enter at this stage.


    The winners of the semifinals y in the final, while the losing teamspete in a third-ce match for third ce.


    All matches in the FIFA Club World Cup are single-elimination matches. If a match is tied after 90 minutes, it goes to extra time and if necessary, penalties.


    After more than 4 months of club football, the FIFA Club World Cup was finally organized, and it''s first game was scheduled for December 11.


    For Enyimba FC, it was a way to escape their current season troubles.


    4 months into the season, the team was slowlying back into shape, Austin already back from his injury, including Emeka, only Olisema remained out of the line-up as he suffered a serious groin injury.


    Like usual, Coach Yemi Daniel did his homework for the tournament, providing the fixture updates to his yers.


    (FIFA Club World Cup!)


    (First round:)


    >Al-Ittihad ¨C Ad City<


    >Date: 12 December, 2023<


    By then, the Enyimba FC squad was already in Saudi Arabia as they limatized with the pitches where they would y against some of the best clubs across all the football-ying continents of the world.


    Domestically in the league, Enyimba FC may be having an up and down season, but they were still the reigning African champions league winners.


    In the hall of the hotel where they lodged, together alongside their coach, the Enyimba squad stayed and watched the first game of the club world cup.


    Al-Ittihad, the Saudi Arabian club representing the host country started the tournament as they took on Ad City, the reigning OFC champions league winners representing Oceania or better known as Australia.


    In the first game of the tournament, Al-Ittihad showed the prowess of the home side, riding the momentum of the superior number of their fans that stayed supporting them as they dominated the game from the first minute, running Ad City haggard by half-time.


    Al-Ittihad went to half-time leading by 1 goal to nil, courtesy of an incredible team goal by their striker but the score line didn''t reflect the reality on the pitch at all. Ad City was thoroughly outyed by the Saudi Arabian giants.


    And when the second half started, the floodgates opened as the Saudi Arabian club doubled their lead shortly after restart before sealing the game 3-0 at the 70th minute of the game.


    After that, they simply saw the game out against the toothless Ad City.


    The Oceania-based club meekly bowed out of the tournament direct from the first day, stealing headlines across the world.


    Alongside his yers and his analysts, Coach Yemi Daniel broke down and analyzed Al-Ittihad''s performance, identifying their main strengths and weaknesses.


    The Nigerian coach didn''t just pay attention to the Saudi Arabian club out of leisure though. It was because if the Saudi team won, in the second round of the tournament, they were scheduled to y against Al-Ittihad.


    He was already preparing for their first game of the tournament.


    3 dayster, the D-day for the second-round games arrived.


    (FIFA Club World Cup!)


    (Second round:)


    >Leon ¨C Urawa Reds<


    >Date: 15th December, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Enyimba FC ¨C Al-Ittihad< Read thetest on empire


    >Date: 15th December, 2023<


    For the first game of the second round, Urawa Red Diamonds also known as Mitsubishi Urawa Football Club, a club from the city of Saitama, Japan, the current reigning AFC champions league winners were to take on the reigning CONCACAF champions, Lean from North America.


    It was a game between two evenly ranked teams, and the rating were proved true due to the intense game that followed.


    Determined to win the game and progress deeper into the semi-final of the tournament, both teams started with their best starting XI.


    During the first few minutes of the game, Leon dominated,ing close to scoring a few times but Urawa Reds of Japan remained defensively disciplined, shutting their opponents out till they also forced their imprint on the game.


    After the first 20 minutes of Leon domination, the game stabilized, bing an even game as Urawa Reds finally started taking the battle to their opponents.


    The first half was an intense affair of high-octane football as both teams went hard at each other, going back and forth. Both teams had their chances, but neither of them was clinical enough to take it.


    The first half ended 0-0, a draw.


    No outside figure knew what the coaches of both teams told their yers during half-time, because once second half started, the yers of both teams rushed out, ying with even more intensity and energy.


    There were even more chances in the second half as the forwards feasted, prating into the defense constantly but failing at just thest moment.


    And then, one of the 2 teams finally paid the price for their relentless energy.


    After a reckless tackle on an Urawa Reds yer, the Leon midfielder got a red card and that was the turning point of the game.


    Leon changed their game n, defending deep in their half after changes from their coach as Urawa Redsunched attacking raids after attacking raids in their box. Despite a valiant defensive performance, Leon faltered.


    In the 81st minute of the game, Leon hearts around North America were shattered as Urawa Reds managed to sneak the ball into their.


    The first game of the second round ended 0-1 in Urawa Reds'' favor.


    The Japanese team progressed to the semifinals of the FIFA Club World Cup.


    The second qualified team would be decided between Enyimba FC, the Nigerian-based club and Al-Ittihad, the Saudi Arabian giant.


    FWEEEE!


    The game started.

 Chapter 77 FIFA Club World Cup [2]

    In the dressing room, the Enyimba FC yers sat, slightly tense as they looked up at their coach who paced up and down the room.


    For the past few months since the start of the NPFL season, Enyimba FC had a difficult time with injuries. Only their defense was still stalwart as across the midfield and forward lines, they already suffered multiple injuries already.


    Maybe it was luck but as December approached, most of the Enyimba yers in the injury list finally made their return.


    At the moment, Cyril Olisema was the only important Enyimba FC yer still injured and with Farouk''s return, his spot in the starting XI was not even guaranteed.


    Austin already returned some time ago and worked his way back to fitness already, but Emeka was still not in tip top shape for the FIFA Club World Cup.


    Despite this, his name was in the starting XI.


    Enyimba FC simply didn''t have the budget to poach another center forward of his qualifications. Coach Yemi Daniel had no choice but to work with what he had, and so far, the coach was doing a good job.


    After about a minute of pacing around, Coach Yemi Daniel finally stopped and with his hands resting on his waist akimbo, he finally addressed them.


    "It''s our first game of the FIFA Club World Cup".


    "You know what our fans want," he paused, letting that sink in first then he continued. "You also know what I want".


    "Al-Ittihad may be strong but we are no push-overs too".


    "On paper, we''re a stronger team so let''s go there and do what we do best in knock-out stages of tournaments," Coach Yemi Daniel grinned. "Last season, we performed miracles to win the CAF champions league".


    He looked around at his yers'' faces. "Are we out of miracles?"


    "No". Only Austin answered.


    "Come on!" Coach Yemi spread his hands, dissatisfied. "Come on guys, are we out of miracles?!" He said in a louder voice, then¡­


    "NO COACH!" The yers roared.


    Coach Yemi grinned. "That''s what I thought".


    "Boys, let''s go out there and y our best football".


    "Let''s enjoy ourselves".


    He looked at his wristwatch, checking the time. "We have 90 minutes to wrap this up".


    Thinking of something, he smiled. "I don''t know about you guys, but I can''t wait to lock heads against Pep Guardie 22nd".


    He looked at his striker. "Emeka, don''t you want to test your ability against the proimed best striker in the world?"


    "Don''t you want to rub shoulders with Erling Hand?"


    Hearing that, Emeka clenched his fists instinctively, feeling his blood boil.


    Coach Yemi Daniel grinned. "Thought so, so better not get injured".


    He looked at his 2-star midfielders. "Manchester City have some of the best midfielders in the whole world. Austin, who knows? Just one game, maybe it''s that game against a team of that caliber that''ll help you raise your game to a new level".


    "Sam, you too".


    He grinned again. "Don''t you want to rub shoulders with Kevin De Bruyne?"


    What else did his yers need to hear to raise their mood to cloud 9?


    Well, that was all they needed.


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    At the moment, Manchester City was the best club in the world bar none. The Enyimba FC yers never really paid attention to it before now but with their coach reminding them, they remembered, Man City was also in thispetition!


    What other motivation did they need to win than the prospects of ying against the best club in the world?


    FWEEEE!


    As soon as the referee''s whistle sounded, starting the game, Enyimba FC kicked off the game as they came out roaring like a Dragon.


    For a moment, it felt like a role switch was in y.


    For a moment, it didn''t feel like Al-Ittihad was the club ying at home at all. Rather, Enyimba FC yed like they were the one with the home advantage.


    They yed like they were in their backyard, in the Enyimba International Stadium and with such a performance, results followed.


    For the first 20 minutes of the game, Enyimba FC dominated, posting ridiculous statistics of 73% possession against Al-Ittihad''s 27%.


    Al-Ittihad tried to wrestle control over the game but they couldn''t, Enyimba FC''s midfield trio were all in the zone state, ying at an otherworldly level.


    The first goal of the game came from one of them.


    ying tiki taka football in the middle of the pitch, Farouk set his more advanced partners up as with short one-two passes, Sam and Austin prated into the Al-Ittihad 18-yard box till Sam set his captain up with a neat flick.


    The ball was set up for Austin almost perfectly, away from the onrushing defenders and the center midfielder did not hesitate, rifling the ball into the.


    In the 12th minute of the game, Enyimba FC led 1-0.


    Just 3 minutester, in the 15th minute of the game, after an impressive hold up y from Emeka, the Enyimba center forward set up the rampaging attacking midfielder who was on top of his game today, leaving the ball to him to shoot.


    Sam did not miss his mark, hitting the ball with venom and rifling it into the top right corner of the with imperious power.


    The Al-Ittihad goalkeeper stood no chance.


    2 goals in 4 minutes!


    From there on, Enyimba FC totally dominated the first half, blowing out their opponents with a third goal once again set up by Sam.


    This time, Victor finished the attack, putting his name on the scoresheet.


    Enyimba FC went to half-time leading their opponents 3-0 but by then, the game was already decided because they didn''t just win against Al-Ittihad today, they literally annihted them, swept them under the rug, mutted them!


    The Al-Ittihad morale was at an all-time low.


    In the dressing room, Coach Yemi Daniel was all smiles. "Good job boys, good job".


    In the second half, Coach Yemi subbed off Emeka but it didn''t affect anything. Enyimba FC yed safe in the second half, not wanting to risk an injury as they executed their coach''s orders to the book, focusing on maintaining possession.


    In the 60th minute, Austin was subbed off for a more defensive yer.


    10 minutester, Sam was also subbed off.


    The second half ended in a goalless draw, giving Enyimba FC a straight ticket to the semi-final of the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup as they swept the Saudi Arabian giants aside with a convincing 3-0 score line.


    The publicity in the CAF champions league is much, but it held no candle to the publicity surrounding the FIFA Club World Cup.


    After that impressive performance, Enyimba FC entered the world''s radar.


    The second round of the tournament was over, and on to the semifinals.

 Chapter 78 FIFA Club World Cup [3]

    (FIFA Club World Cup!)


    (Second round results:)


    >Leon 0-1 Urawa Reds<


    >Date: 15th December, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Enyimba FC 3-0 Al-Ittihad<


    >Date: 15th December, 2023<


    ¡­


    (Semifinal fixtures:)


    >Fluminense ¨C Enyimba FC<


    >Date: 18th December, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Urawa Reds ¨C Man City<


    >Date: 19th December, 2023<


    To Enyimba FC, the most glorious fact of the second round of the FIFA Club World Cup was not the fact that they swept Al-Ittihad under the rug, qualifying at their expense, but rather the fact that they ended on the other side of the draw.


    It would have been even more painful after all their efforts, hoping to meet Manchester City in the final of the tournament, they ended up meeting them prematurely in the semifinal.


    At it seems though, the goddess of luck was smiling on them.


    Enyimba FC didn''t have the luxury to focus on a distant Manchester City side though. This was because in the semifinal, they met another stern test in the form of Fluminense, the South American club.


    As the reigning champions of the Copa Libertadores, a trophy that was even more highly rated than the CAF champions league, Enyimba FC were not delusional to not be wary of their strong opponents.


    Fluminense were in strong form and Enyimba FC respected them for it but they didn''t approach the game with fear, rather approaching it with the same mentality that they approached the Al-Ittihad game.


    The vibe in the club was a positive one.


    For 3 days, alongside his teammates, Sam trained intensely even as Coach Yemi Daniel also did his work, taking care of the tactical aspects of the game.


    For the uing game, Sam had an even more difficult task, he would be taking on his first free role since starting his football career.


    Due to his impressive ball retention ability and his improved dribbling activity, and his stamina, Coach Yemi Daniel wanted him to be the thorn in the side of the strong South American side.


    In essence, for 90 minutes, Sam was expected to run himself to the ground, making sure that he was a menace in the South American side.


    It was difficult but Sam was up to the challenge.


    Before the game, he visited the rest room where he looked at his reflection in the mirror; he grinned. ''This is it¡­, the moment that the system always wanted''.


    ''The moment that it even had to bend reality just to make possible''.


    ''Games like this, they''re what defines a career''.


    Thinking of this, he remembered a song that his father rmended to him earlier in the year. "Lose yourself," he muttered, smiling.


    "It''s now or never".


    He left, going back to the pitch, then¡­


    FWEEEE!


    It was a blockbuster encounter against two strong teams with recent incredible achievements. Fluminense was in greater form but from the first minute, Enyimba FC set a marker on the game.


    They were not going down without a fight!


    The first half was a tight and cagey affair as both teams yed physical football with great intensity, not giving their opponents time on the ball, rushing to win it back and kickstart their own attack almost immediately.


    In most parts, the first half was chaotic but a certain yer thrived in the chaos, Samuel Moses.


    Sam was still ying at an elite levelpared to the standards of the NPFL, butpared to his debut season, his level dropped a bit this season.


    He noticed it and worked extra hard but with time, he learned that it was not just because of him, but his team.


    He was already outgrowing the Enyimba FC team.


    By now, he was the out and out best yer of the team.


    And though he didn''t want to admit it, Sam knew that Enyimba''s performances this season were part of the reason why the attention on him after his record-breaking debut season reduced.


    It was also the reason why Lille was not pushing yet to get his signature.


    At some point, it left him depressed but after enough time of reflecting on it, it only left him yearning for more, yearning to prove them wrong.


    ''I can do more!''


    ''I will do more!''


    And what better time than now to do more?


    Amid the chaos, Sam thrived, imprinting his footsteps all over the pitch for Enyimba FC as he helped his team hold the fort against the rampant Fluminense.


    The game was an even encounter throughout the first half, but in the 45th plus 2 minutes, a moment of individual brilliance opened it up.


    Receiving the ball close to the halfway line, Sam held it, facing his side of the pitch even as 3 Fluminense yers immediately closed him down.


    As they did, this was when he pulled out another moment of magic from his trick box.


    Touching the ball with the heel of his boots, Sam did a feint, moving as if he intended to continue rushing towards his side of the pitch before dragging the ball back with the heel of his boots, leaving the 3 Fluminense yers for dead.


    "¡­!" Gasps erupted around the Saudi Arabian stadium.


    In one move, Sam eliminated 3 opposition yers before charging towards the left side of the pitch with the ball.


    He evaded more challenges, deftly flicking the ball and pushing it above the outstretched legs of 2 more Fluminense yers.


    By now, Sam was already close to the Fluminense 18-yard box from the left.


    He was initially running towards the corner g with the ball when he stopped, cutting the ball back to his right.


    Immediately after he did this, reading him, a Fluminense midfielder immediately rushed in for the tackle¡­, but it was the wrong move.


    Whoosh!


    Sam''s legs moved so swiftly that it almost seemed like a snake''s bite, dragging the ball one way with his right leg before rapidly cutting it back at an acute angle with the same right leg to his left.


    "Oh my God! An stico¡­!" Thementator screamed.


    "And that Fluminense yer is left praying to dead gods, what an ankle-breaker move!"


    "What a piece of individual skill!"


    "Sam is free, will he shoot? Oooohhh¡­!" Thementator eximed. "And what a cut! Can you see this Drake?" Thementatorughed. "That guy is sliding to Jerusalem; and Sam is back on his right foot!"


    "Will he¡­? And yes he did!"


    Sam was already in the zone state.


    After eliminating the first yer with an stico dribble, with his spatial awareness, he saw it as the Fluminense yer slid in for a tackle.


    Sam reacted fast, cutting the ball and skipping away from the yer.


    At that moment, for a second, he was left unmarked.


    Sam took one look at the goal, bent his body before curling the inside of his right boot around the ball, lifting it up with a perfect curling shot.


    The ball rose into the air, rotating rapidly even as the Fluminense goalkeeper jumped on a full-stretch dive.


    "Will the goalkeeper catch it? Will he? And ooohhh¡­!"


    "What a goal!"


    "An absolute banger!"


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    "They call him the African Zidane, and here again, he''s done it!"


    "What a first half performance!"


    The Fluminense goalkeeper''s hand nicked the ball, but it was not enough as the ball slipped through, nestling into the.


    As thementator sang his praises, Sam ran off towards the corner g, spreading his arms to acknowledge the adoration of his fans.


    "Sam!" "Sam!" "Sam!"


    They chanted loudly.


    And then, he slid on his knees, pointing a finger at his head in celebration.


    His teammates slid after him, hugging him excitedly from behind.


    FWEEEE!


    The game soon restarted but it was too little time for Fluminense to do anything, the first half ended 0-1 in Enyimba FC''s favor.

 Chapter 79 FIFA Club World Cup [4]

    FWEEEE!


    Second half started.


    Sam''s incredible solo goal in the first half was clearly unexpected, briefly affecting the Fluminense momentum but it didn''tst long.


    During halftime, the Fluminense coach definitely told his yers some crazy words because they came out for the second half firing on all cylinders.


    What Sam''s goal did was rile up this strong team even more.


    In the second half, the Fluminense yers increased their work rate, running all over the pitch as for the first few minutes of this half, they dominated and it was not without fruit as they got a result in a short time.


    After 5 minutes of dominating possession, they scored from their first shot.


    POW!


    The sound as the leg hit the ball was like that of a bullet leaving a gun''s muzzle, evident of the power behind the shot!


    The Fluminense left winger started the move, dribbling through multiple Enyimba FC yers through the left wing as he prated into their 18-yard box after disying impressive ir with the ball.


    He didn''t try to shoot though, nor did he pass to his lethal striker, rather, this winger''s intelligence showed as he passed to the only yer with no marker who was just outside the 18-yard box.


    The Fluminense attacking midfielder did not miss his chance, hitting the ball first-time with pure venom as it shot towards the middle of the post with power!


    The ball was sent towards the top center of the post, but its power was too much and its speed was too fast.


    Ojo, the Enyimba FC goalkeeper could only dive awkwardly as the ball shot past his arms with fear-inducing force!


    It was a thunderous goal!


    "What a rocket shot!"


    "And Flumimense are back in the game!"


    "Drake I''m telling you, that was straight out of the Universal Soldier ybook, what a venomous shot!"


    "1-1¡­, game on!"


    In the 50th minute of the game, the game was tied 1-1.


    That also served as a wake-up call for Enyimba FC as the whole team were roused from their slumber, turning the game into a pound for pound bout.


    In the midfield, Farouk became a stalwart, rushing after and tackling every loose ball even as Austin yed as the anchor, rotating possession.


    Emeka''s hold-up y improved.


    As for Sam, he was all over the pitch, winning back possession, spraying passes left and right, ying crazy defense-splitting passes while unleashing that asional rocket shot that left the Fluminense goalkeeper always on his toes.


    The tension of the game was palpable.


    Having won the man of the match award of the second-round game, Sam''s performances today rose above every other yer, putting him forefront for the award again, till a moment of shock stunned Enyimba FC.


    After receiving a pass from Ojo, the Enyimba FC right center back was immediately subjected to the Fluminense aggressive press as left with no choice, he passed back to his goalkeeper, and then came the blunder.


    The Fluminense striker didn''t just press the center back as predicting his pass option, before he passed, he already charged towards Ojo.


    And the pass was a weak pass.


    Thud! Thud!


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    Hearing the thudding sounds of the striker''s boots as he rapidly charged towards the ball, Ojo panicked.


    This goalkeeper felt his body fill up with adrenaline.


    He also charged out, the only thought in his mind being to kick the ball far away from his box, but then, the pressure of the game got to him.


    Having been subjected to the loud roar of the fans since the first minute of the game, in this moment of truth, Ojo made his first blunder.


    His left leg kicked, but he missed the ballpletely!


    "¡­!" This goalkeeper was stunned.


    The ball rolled in-between his legs, going behind him and straight into the post. It crossed the line¡­, it was a goal.


    "GOALLLL¡­!"


    Roaring loudly, the Fluminense striker celebrated exuberantly.


    This striker charged to the touchline, jumping over the barrier as he waved his arms up and down, charging up the Fluminense supporters as they roared.


    In the 68th minute of the game, Enyimba FC lost their lead, going 2-1 down.


    The tension increased, bing even more palpable.


    The whole Enyimba FC team could already stare at the jaws of defeat. Most of them sumbed to it, surrendering to the superior Fluminense spirit but a certain yer refused to sumb.


    Staring at his opponents as they celebrated, only one thought went through Sam''s mind. ''It''s not over yet!''


    ''We can still do it; we can still win!''


    FWEEEE!


    When the game restarted, desperate to score again, Enyimba FC''s ball progression became disorderly and rushed as they began losing possession of the ball rampantly to the frustration of a certain coach.


    "Calm down, calm down!" Coach Yemi Daniel kept on yelling from the touchline but his yers could not hear him anymore.


    The game already got to them, seeping into their head like a virus.


    After that 2nd goal, riding the momentum, Fluminense finally imed superiority over their opponents as they started dominating possession.


    "Calm down!" Coach Yemi Daniel kept on yelling, frustrated.


    This coach watched as the minutes passed and as his team''s y kept on bing more atrocious. He watched as the game slipped away from his team''s grasp, and amid it all, only one yer in blue stayed ying his game.


    His name was Samuel Moses.


    Even while all his teammates seemed to transition into Sunday league yers, having sumbed to the pressure already, Sam remained locked in.


    With red eyes filled with fanatic focus, he ran, pursued, tackled, passed, moved the ball with zeal and a singr purpose, to score.


    80 minutes passed¡­


    By now, Fluminense already came close to doubling their lead a few times as some Enyimba FC away supporters in the stadium were already reduced to tears.


    They watched as their team capitted under the pressure.


    In the end, the pressure cascaded as in a moment of madness in the 86th minute of the game, the same Enyimba FC center back who scored the own goal pulled the Fluminense striker in the box, causing a penalty.


    The yer also received a red card as the Fluminense striker iled his arms wildly again, riling up the Fluminense fans even more.


    Enyimba FC''s misery piled on in loads, the team now reduced to 10 men while facing a penalty kick.


    At this point, disappointed Enyimba FC supporters started leaving the stadium, too devastated to watch the game more.


    The confident Fluminense striker stepped up to take the penalty.


    FWEEEE!


    This striker did a short run, took a look before cing this ball perfectly towards the bottom right corner. It was a perfect penalty kick, but¡­, it was an even more perfect dive.


    No one saw iting!


    Going on a full-stretch dive towards the right side of the pitch, after his previous blunder, Ojo managed to pull off a miracle, saving the perfect penalty!


    Ojo pushed the ball out of his!


    Austin was the first yer to react, rushing at the ball before clearing it without looking high up into the pitch.


    As soon as the ball was cleared, the first yer to react was¡­ Sam!


    Thud!


    He moved!

 Chapter 80 Mamba mentality!

    The mamba mentality¡­, what was it?


    Was it real? Or was it just a myth?


    To some, to sum up what the mentality is, it means to be able to constantly try to be the best version of yourself. It is a mentality, a lifestyle, it''s a constant quest to try to be better today than you were yesterday.


    Well, the tens of thousands of fans gathered in the Saudi Arabian stadium today got the privilege to witness it first-hand, after the ball was cleared.


    As soon as the ball was cleared, Sam felt like a bolt of electricity just went through him, pushing him into such an excited state like electrons that he jolted into action instinctively!


    Thud!


    He moved!


    There was a Fluminense yer close to him, the yer tried to drag his jersey and pull him down,mitting a tactical foul for his team but Sam was having none of it as he flung his hands wildly, shrugging the yer''s grasp off as he copsed to the pitch helplessly.


    Sam was already in the zone state with all distractions abstracted from his mind, the main thing on his mind being the ball, the pitch, and its inhabitants.


    The first things he noticed was the flight trajectory of the ball.


    He also noticed the yer who tried to drag him down, including thest defender that Fluminense left as the sweeper, including the fact that the Fluminense goalkeeper didn''t stray off his lines.


    The goalkeeper was disciplined, staying at alert in his lines despite the fact that his team was dominating the game since.


    This meant that Sam could not try his long-range shot trick this time.


    Sam also noticed that as the ball descended, thest Fluminense defender, the sweeper was already charging towards him to wrestle for the ball.


    And he also noted that the defender was not fast enough, meaning that he would get the ball first, forcing the defender to tackle to get the ball back.


    It was a 50/50 situation but it was fine, it was not all bad yet.


    In reality, it was a 70/30 situation simply because of the mental state that Sam was in at this moment, almost like he was floating among clouds, then¡­


    The ball finally descended.


    Bam!


    The defender was already close but with one deft touch of the ball, ignoring the pressure of his opponent''s press, Sam brought the ball under control and with another deft touch, he pushed it in-between the defender''s legs.


    With 2 deft touches, Sam controlled the ball, and nutmegged the sweeper!


    The stadium erupted in cheers but Sam heard none of it, because he had someone else to beat, the goalkeeper.


    The sweeper defender tried to drag him down too, risking a red card but having expected it, Sam evaded him, rushing after the ball, then¡­


    Bam!


    He kicked the ball long, and then he dug in¡­


    Sam could feel his heart beating rapidly against his chest, his lungs burning as it pumped oxygen through his body rapidly even as he moved.


    As he moved, the Fluminense goalkeeper retreated, protecting his post but Sam kicked the ball long again after the first time, deliberately.


    And that was the bait¡­


    "¡­!" rmed to what he judged as a poor touch, the Fluminense goalkeeper charged out of his post aggressively, chasing after the ball, but Sam was faster.


    Sam arrived at the ball first, stopping it with a deft touch even as the goalkeeper kept on charging towards him like a train.


    At that moment, time seemed to stop, space and time seemed to freeze, and then¡­, the Fluminense goalkeeper saw stars.


    "ANOTHER ELASTICOOOOO¡­!!!" Thementator screamed.


    "The goalkeeper was literally deleted!"


    "Zinedine Sam!"


    "Zinedine Sam!"


    "Zinedine Sam!" Thementator screamed in a shrill tone at the top of his voice even as tens of thousands of fans around this stadium stood up.


    With that stico, Sam sent the goalkeeper one way, jumping over his outstretched leg, and then, he poked the ball into an empty.


    It almost looked too easy for him.


    "Sam!" "Sam!" "Sam!"


    The Sam chants broke out again.


    In the 87th minute of the game, after Ojo pulled off a crazy penalty save, Sam added the finishing touches at the other end, scoring a goal straight out of the top drawer in terms of how iconic it was.


    The game was tied again, 2-2¡­


    Sam didn''t celebrate though, charging into the as he picked the ball before charging back all the way to the half-way line.


    His eyes remained red in focus, firmly locked in the zone state.


    That goal definitely rattled some nerves.


    FWEEEE!


    As soon as the referee''s whistle blew again, the Fluminense yers, flustered and even more determined now charged at the Enyimba FC half with even more dangerous attacking raids and this time, Sam went back to defend.


    Sacrificing himself, fully zoning into his free role today, Sam recklessly went on sliding tackles, blocking shots, intercepting passes.


    90 minutes passed; the score remained 2-2¡­


    90 plus 1 minute¡­


    90 plus 2 minutes¡­


    90 plus 3 minutes¡­


    90 plus 4 minutes¡­


    90 plus 5 minutes¡­


    90 plus 6 minutes, thest minute of additional time of normal game time, Sam won the ball back all the way in his half again and this time, kicking the ball long again, he started another counter-attack.


    Badump! Badump!


    Sam could feel his heart beating heavily against his chest, warning him against over-exerting his body but Sam didn''t care, the win was what mattered.


    Digging in, he charged through the left nk with the ball, eating yards of space even as the swift Chijioke charged after him, about to overtake him.


    As Chijioke overtook him, Sam passed the ball to his front, letting this winger run into it even as he diverted his run, cutting back into the middle of the Fluminense 18-yard box and that was when Chijioke floated the ball back in.


    There were 2 Fluminense yers tracking Sam, making sure that he was locked out while one of the center backs was diligently keeping Emeka quiet.


    Despite his trackers, as he ran into the 18-yard box, Sam jumped despite the high boot of his opponent to win the ball, deftly controlling the high ball with his chest amid gasps around the stadium.


    His opponent''s high boot hit his chest but Sam showed no reaction, his red eyes only fixated on the round ball now descending from his chest.


    Bam!


    Sam felt the second yer hit him with his body, pushing but he didn''t fall, nor did he react, rather flicking the ball with his rightp.


    With that flick to the right, as the ball floated in the air, he turned, rotating after the ball and then without thinking, his right leg swung up with power. Discover stories with empire


    Sam hit the ball on a volley!


    BAM!


    At that range, the goalkeeper could only react like an epilepsy patient, falling to the ground while sprawling his hands helplessly as the ball rushed past him.


    The shook¡­


    "GOALLLL¡­!!!" Sam roared.


    Removing his blue jersey, Sam charged towards the corner g, embracing the wave of adoration suddenly directed at him by the fans as he nodded in acknowledgement before showing his jersey to the fans, pointing at his name and number.


    {Samuel #19}


    "WHAT A GOALLLLL¡­!" Thementator roared with his cracked voice.


    "WHAT A GAME!"


    "WHAT A GOAL!"


    "Samuel Mosesssss¡­.!"


    "Samuel Mosessss¡­!" He was freaking out.


    "Mamba mentality!" He roared. "That''s the mamba mentality!"


    "What a goal! What a moment! What a game!"


    "The boy wonder just single-handedly won Enyimba FC the game!"


    Enyimba FC won the game 2-3.

 Chapter 81 A date with Manchester City

    (FIFA Club World Cup!)


    (Semifinal result:)


    >Fluminense 2-3 Enyimba FC<


    >Date: 18th December, 2023<


    In a sporting event that sent the whole footballing world reeling in shock, after an impressive disy that stole headlines all over the world, a young 18-year-old midfielder called Samuel Moses sent his local club to the final of the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup.


    If the footballing world across Europe didn''t know of the name Samuel Moses before now, after the game against Fluminense, they definitely knew now.


    And unexpectedly, Sam scooped his second sessive man of the match award in the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup tournament.


    And as was expected, he presided over the post-match interview.


    With sweat all over his face, still breathing rapidly from how much he exerted himself in the game, Sam faced the male reporter with a big smile on his face.


    The male reporter grinned. "I can see someone is in a good mood".


    Sam grinned back at him. "Who wouldn''t be?" He chugged down a gulp of water down his throat. "I mean,e on, not even I scripted it like this, my performance today was beyond my expectations". Sam chuckled.


    "Well, to sum up my view of your disy today, first of all, there is a tradition that I once learned from a movie, you should watch it at your free time, 3 Idiots".


    "I learned this from the movie".


    Telling his cameraman to pay attention, the male reporter removed his face cap before bowing in Sam''s direction. "Your highness, thou art great oh!"


    "Receive this humble offering".


    "Stop it". Samughed loudly, including the other people avable for the interview, but then he grinned. "Actually, I''ve watched the 3 Idiots and if my memory doesn''t fail me, you''re supposed to remove your pants".


    "Stop!" The reporter burst outughing.


    After their light-hearted exchange, the interview finally started officially. "Honestly, words can''t express the magnitude of your performance today Sam. I finally understand why they call you the African Zidane, how do you feel?"


    Sam grinned. "I feel great, honestly, I feel like I''m floating".


    "My teammates are literally worshipping me at this point," he chuckled. "During the game, I didn''t know how cool it looked but watching the rey after the game, I finally understand how ridiculous myst goal was".


    "Honestly, I don''t know how I did it, I just did it".


    The reporter grinned. "Well, Sam, congrattions, because that''s the mark of great footballers. They simply do things on the pitch, incredible things that even they themselves can''t exin".


    "After your performance today, I believe that you''re now on the radar of some European clubs. Some of my sources tell me you''ve already been approached by a European club, is that true?"


    Sam shook his head. "I can''t say, my father is in charge of all contract-rted matters. All I care about is ying football".


    "If an eptable offer does my way to y in Europe though," he grinned. "I won''t hesitate, I want to prove my talent to the world".


    "I wish you good luck in that endeavor Sam". The reporter smiled again, looking at his paper before continuing the interview.


    "After your heroics today, at the expense of Fluminense, you just bought yourself a date with Manchester City in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup. Do you think your club stands a chance against the best club in the whole world?"


    "Do you think you can put out this same performance against Manchester City in the final?"


    Sam smiled. "First, thest finalist of the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup final is not decided yet, Manchester City still has to y their first game tomorrow".


    "Do you think Urawa Reds stand a chance against them?"


    Sam shook his head. "It''s not a matter of what I think, it''s football and in football, anything can happen".


    He rubbed his chin, contemting his words. "If we do meet Manchester City in the FIFA Club World Cup final though, I can''t promise anything, the only thing I can promise the Enyimba fans is that we will give our best like we always do".


    "Last season, against all odds, we made it all the way to the final of the CAF champions league, going all the way and winning it in the end".


    "Are you saying¡­?"


    Sam shook his head again. "I''m not saying anything, I''m simply saying that I won''t reject another miracle if ites".


    He grinned. "Afterall, this is football".


    "What about you? Do you think you can put out the same performance today against Manchester City in the final?"


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    "Who knows?" Sam shrugged. "But I''ll give it my best shot, believe that".


    "I do believe Sam". The male reporter smiled again, and then he looked at his wristwatch. "My time is over Sam; I wish I had more time with you".


    "You''ll have another time another day Mr. John".


    The reporter smiled. "It was a nice time with you Sam, do have a nice day".


    "You too".


    With that, Sam finally returned to his teammates in the dressing room. To his surprise though, immediately after he entered the room, Austin burst a bottle of champagne, pouring it all over him as the team celebrated their victory again.


    Raising Sam up, they threw him up and down excitedly in the air, acknowledging his big role in their incredibleeback today.


    After returning to their hotel rooms,ter in the day, Sam had a video call with his family as he spoke with his overexcited mom and sister.


    Mr. Moses was just proud of his son.


    That same day, his contacts from Lille finally contacted him again including delegates from 3 other European clubs, leaving this middle-aged man ecstatic but he did not bother his son with the contact talks for now.


    He let Sam focus on his football, the final for now.


    The next day, Manchester City finally took on Urawa Reds in the other semifinal game and just like the whole world expected, the reigning European champions blew their opponents awaypletely.


    And finally, the semifinal results were ready.


    (FIFA Club World Cup!)


    (Semifinal results:)


    >Fluminense 2-3 Enyimba FC<


    >Date: 18th December, 2023<


    ¡­


    >Urawa Reds 0-3 Man City<


    >Date: 19th December, 2023<


    ¡­


    (Match for 3rd ce:)


    >Urawa Reds ¨C Fluminense<


    >Date: 22nd December, 2023<


    ¡­


    (Final fixture:)


    >Man City ¨C Enyimba FC<


    >Date: 22nd December, 2023<


    Enyimba FC got their date with Manchester City.

 Chapter 82 Bronze medal winners

    For the next 3 days, news around the football world were focused on 1 specific event, the approaching FIFA World Cup final between Manchester City, the reigning European Champions and the champions from Africa.


    Before that day, not many people knew or had even heard of Enyimba FC but after the game against Fluminense, the name Enyimba FC entered the map.


    Fans across the world learned the identity of Man City''s final opponents.


    And by learning about Enyimba FC, they also progressed, learning about their exploitsst season, rising up as underdogs against all odds all the way to the CAF champions league final and winning in incredible fashion.


    It was the perfect underdog story.


    And by learning this incredible story, they also learned about the boy wonder who spearheaded the Enyimba heroicsst season, Samuel Moses.


    Learning the fact that the season prior to the 2022/2023 season, Enyimba FC literally went trophy less lent even more credibility to the team''s achievements and most importantly, Sam''s brilliance.


    Adding the fact that Enyimba FC crashed out of the FA cup immediately after he suffered an injury only added more substance to his legend.


    The legend of the African Zidane rising from the suburbs of Abraka, Nigeria, rising to the top of African football, sweeping away allpetition.


    It was not an official book but articles like this started popping up and circting around social media, and with popr football social media pages like GOAL.COM and others fanning the mes, a certain yer experienced a poprity surge again.


    All across Nigeria and beyond, fans wearing jerseys with the name Sam and the number 19 started circting all over social media.


    And most of these fans didn''t wear his name on number on the Enyimba FC jersey and colors, rather wearing it in their own club colors.


    There were fans from Ennd doing it, fans from even Germany and France, and some from Spain too.


    With all this publicity suddenly surrounding him at the age of 18, Sam would have been overwhelmed if not for the ever-present support of his family and his coach. Coach Yemi Daniel was ever ready to help and keep Sam grounded.


    Despite the fact that his social media followership exploded, with tons of crazy ounts chatting him up, some even sending him nudes and asking him to be their girlfriend, Sam managed to ignore it all, training diligently alongside his teammates for their date against Man City in a few days.


    For this game, Coach Yemi Daniel went gaga, coaching his yers with incredible detail on a lot of tactical nuances and know-hows.


    "I''ve never seen the coach give so much for just 1 game," Austin told Sam one day. "Damn, he really wants us to pull off a miracle, do you think we can?"


    Sam looked at his captain. "I don''t know, but I do hope we do".


    All the yers put in more than 100% in training, making sure they were in tip-top shape and finally, like the rolling pages of a book, 3 days passed swiftly and it was already D-day.


    It was 22nd December.


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    The match for 3rd ce between Urawa Reds of Japan and Fluminense of South America was yed first in the afternoon.


    Just like the world expected, Fluminense came roaring from the very first minute of the game, leaving their stamp of authority on the game.


    They dominated the first half, running Urawa Reds ragged, a first-half performance that culminated in a convincing 0-2 score line.


    During half-time, the Urawa Reds coach did his thing, motivating his yers the Jose Mourinho way as they all came out for the second half like hungry Lions.


    In the first 10 minutes, their high energy tactic paid off as they caught Fluminense off-guard, scoring a goal in the 54th minute to cut down the score line by half.


    Fluminense were not having it though, they were not about to have another Enyimba FC here and botch the chance to collect the bronze medal.


    Reminded of scars past by that goal, the Fluminense yers reacted like an angry Chicken whose eggs were stolen by a Hawk.


    And when a mother Hen was angry, she would turn heaven and earth upside down until she avenges her children and finds peace.


    It was not strange for mother Hen to take off flying like Eagles in pursuit of Hawks when it came to their eggs, and in this game, Fluminense truly took off like Eagles after the score line was halved by Urawa Reds.


    The intensity for the next 15 minutes turned borderline crazy as both teams ran each other to the ground. After withstanding the pressure for 15 minutes, Urawa Reds finally wilted under the pressure of a superior opponent.


    In the 70th minute, the Fluminense attacking midfielder thundered in another outside the box rocket shot that left the Urawa Reds goalkeeper eating grass.


    The ball rushed through the field like a bullet, nestling into the bottom right corner of the and doubling Fluminense'' lead again.


    Just 3 minutester, in the 73rd minute, the same attacking midfielder made it a game to remember, finishing off an incredible team y from Fluminense as he tapped the ball into an empty.


    In the 73rd minute, Fluminense tripled their lead, making the score line 1-4 in their favor. The fans in attendance watching the game were thoroughly entertained.


    After scoring the goal, the Fluminense midfielder charged towards the corner g before doing a backflip in celebration.


    The Fluminense yers were flying and in a good mood.


    For the remaining minutes of the game, they enjoyed themselves with the ball, dominating possession, ying neat tiki taka football, with some asional dizzying moments of brilliance from the Fluminense wingers as they cut through their opponents with brilliant dribbles like a hot knife through butter.


    By the 90th minute, Urawa Reds was already humiliated. This did not stop the Japanese team from scoring a second constion goal though as in thest minute of the game, they scored a 2nd goal.


    The 3rd ce game ended 2-4 in Fluminense'' favor after an incredible disy.


    Fluminense won the bronze medal of the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup.


    And finally, all the attention turned to the final.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 83 FIFA Club World Cup final

    Hours before the finalmenced in the evening, Pep Guardi, the Manchester City coach had an interview.


    "Good evening coach, your team will be ying against the underdogs from Africa in just a few hours, how do you feel about the game?"


    "I''d feel better if the heat was not so scorching". He shed a smile, wiping the sweat off his face.


    The reporterughed. "It''s an Eastern thing, you have to get used to it in Saudi Arabia".


    "So I heard".


    "It''s hotter in Africa though where those boyse from".


    Pep Guardi smiled. "So I heard too".


    This coach rubbed his bald head. "First of all, I''d say don''t call them underdogs. They''re not underdogs after going through Al-Ittihad and Fluminense in such fashion, seeing them as underdogs after all that is just foolish at this point".


    "I and my team will approach this game like every other game".


    "We respect them, and we shall y them with that level of respect. Hopefully, we win". He smiled again.


    "That''s a nice mentality to have against an inferior team," the reporter smiled, about to say more when Pep Guardi stopped him again.


    "They''re ying us in the final, that''s not inferior".


    The reporter chuckled. "If you say so. Before you leave, I want to hear your opinion about the boy they call the African Zidane".


    "Not just this season,st season which is surprisingly his debut season was also filled with surprises as he dragged his club all the way to the continental double of the CAF champions league season and the NPFL trophy".


    "This season again, he''s doing it, impressing in their domestic league. Besides, he''s the main reason why Enyimba FC made it to this stage".


    "Coach, what do you think of the boy? Do you have any special ns against him?"


    "The boy is good," Pep Guardi smiled. "I watched the Fluminense game 3 days ago so I understand all the hype around him, it doesn''t mean we''re scared though. My team is perfectly capable of handling him". He said confidently.


    "We''ve yed against much tougher opposition and survived, so, we''ll be fine".


    He looked at his wristwatch. "If that''s all, I need to go now, I have a schedule to meet".


    "Sir, please wait, I have another question for you¡­"


    He didn''t wait though, he left, leaving the reporter disappointed. He didn''t have all the time in the world to give to an unofficial interview, he had a game to prepare his team for.


    For thest few hours to the game, the atmosphere became excitable as the stadium in Riyadh became filled with tens of thousands of fans.


    Most of the fans were in the sky-blue jerseys of Man City, mostly Erling Hand and Kevin De Bruyne jerseys. Very few fans wore the biro blue of Enyimba FC to the stadium for the final.


    For this game, it was almost like a home game for Man City, the Nigerian club was heavily outmatched in terms of fan attendance.


    And finally, the Man City team bus arrived to much fanfare.


    Once the sky blue and white bus pulled into the stadium, the fans cheered loudly, weing their star yers. Some of the yers gave a bit of their time to sign autographs before entering the stadium.


    The Enyimba team bus already arrived much earlier to much smaller fanfare.


    In the dressing room, the coaches of both teams did the final work on their team before releasing them as they walked out of the dressing room.


    Right there in the tunnel, before the game, Sam alongside his teammates had the best moment of their football careers.


    Right there in the tunnel of this stadium, Sam stood shoulder to shoulder with some of the best and most high-profile yers in the world.


    Badump! Badump!


    He could feel his heart beating hard against his chest.


    Standing in a tunnel where at one side there was Erling Hand, the best striker in the world and at another side, Kevin De Bruyne, the best midfielder in the world, it was hard to stay calm.


    And not just them, seeing stars like Phil Foden, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Ederson, and even Ruben Dias left Sam slightly hyperventting.


    It was taking his all not to be starstruck by the scene before him.


    When he eventually got over his fanatism though, Sam settled, taking the immense moment of this game in. ''It''s a final¡­, against Man City''.


    He took a deep breath. ''It''s my moment''.


    ''The moment that the system worked so hard and expended so much energy to create for me''. He smiled slightly. ''And I worked so hard to get to''.


    ''I''ve made it here; I can''t afford to capitte now''.


    Paul closed his eyes and raised his head, taking in the incredible noise of this stadium. ''Calm down, calm down,'' he chanted in his mind.


    ''Don''t let the pressure get to you, calm, let it flow away like the tide,'' he rubbed his palms together. ''Today is my day''.


    ''It''s now or never!''


    Receiving the signal, the yers finally made their way out of the tunnel to a loud roar from the tens of thousands of fans surrounding this stadium.


    Under this atmosphere, all the Enyimba yers felt overwhelmed.


    This was not their first time under this type of atmosphere, it was simply the caliber of opponents that they were in this atmosphere with that made them feel overwhelmed. They felt like dogs that were stuck in a cage with Wolves.


    Sam recovered faster than his teammates though, pping his hands. "Come on guys, stay focused!"


    "We have 45 minutes ahead of us, we can do this!"


    Seeing his reaction, Austin finally reacted, echoing his words and in no time, the team managed to shake off the cold feet they were feeling.


    Standing in the middle of this pitch shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne, Sam still felt starstruck, but with a different motivation this time.


    ''The student shall eclipse the master!'' He grinned.


    At that moment, the referee took a look at his wristwatch, and then¡­


    FWEEEEE!


    The game started.

 Chapter 84 An Erling Haaland masterclass!

    FWEEEEE!


    Enyimba FC started kickoff, but they didn''t hold possession of the ball for too long as Manchester City asserted their authority over the game early.


    Austin and Sam started the game with their bloods boiling, filled with adrenaline but even that was not enough against the best team in the world, a team filled with world-ss superstars.


    ying in the same midfield alongside the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri, Austin and Sam felt like toddlers ying against their older siblings.


    The thing about them though was that they didn''t give up.


    Manchester City dominated possession, forcing the whole Enyimba FC team to go back and defend but Enyimba FC refused to give them an inch to score still.


    For the first 15 minutes of the game, Enyimba FC suffered but they managed to staypact, defending with incredible zeal like a team, blocking off all obvious shootingnes as Ojo saved 3 consecutive shots on target, one of theming from the deadly striker, Erling Hand.


    The work rate of the whole team was incredible for that first 15 minutes as they ran all over the pitch, but even that was not enough against a team of Manchester City''s caliber.


    In the 18th minute of the game, one of the Man City big names left his imprint on the game, tearing it open with reckless abandon.


    Receiving a diagonal pass from Bernardo Silva in the midfield, the Man City no. 17, Kevin De Bruyne took one touch of the ball with his right foot, controlling it with an inch-perfect touch before switching to his left foot, effortlessly turning away from a challenge.


    After turning away from the challenge, leaving his opponent for dead, De Bruyne took another touch of the ball with his left foot, kicking it forward slightly and setting himself for a shot at goal.


    Noting the threat, Farouk charged in, sliding but it was not enough to make De Bruyne hesitate as this midfielder''s left foot hit the ball with power from outside the box.


    It was a perfect technique.


    POW!


    Like a missile, the ball rose from the ground with speed, rising up and rushing towards the top left corner of the post.


    Ojo took 2 steps before jumping on a full-stretch dive. He tried his best but it was not enough, the ball snuck past him, but then¡­


    Bam!


    It hit the top post.


    "The post is definitely the goalkeeper''s best friend here!"


    "But what a shot from De Bruyne! Just typical of him at this point, you expect things like this from him every game, but the ball is not yet out of y, it''s a rebound¡­"


    "Oh! And herees Erling Hand¡­!"


    "He''s between 2 defenders! Can he¡­? Oh, yes, he does!"


    "Goal! 1-0 to Man City!"


    And just like that, Manchester City went ahead.


    Immediately after the ball smashed against the post, rebounding back into the 6-yard box, even as Ojo scrambled back to his feet, Erling Hand, the Man City no. 9 and striker reacted first, pouncing on the loose ball.


    2 defenders sandwiched the imposing striker but it was not enough as outmuscling them, Hand managed to poke the ball into the empty.


    It was recorded as an assist to Kevin De Bruyne.


    Hand whirled off in celebration.


    "Come on guys!" Austin pped. "Wake up! We can do this!"


    FWEEEE!


    For the next few minutes, Enyimba FC yed with urgency, trying to get back into the game but unable to retain possession, they were fighting a losing battle.


    This was undoubtedly the most frustrating game that Sam had ever yed.


    As an attacking midfielder, he loved having a lot of the ball but in this game, he didn''t have the luxury. Man City simply hoarded possession, reducing him to a tacking merchant as he ran all over the pitch, fruitlessly chasing after the ball.


    When the Enyimba FC yers managed to win back possession, they barely stringed a few passes together before their opponents won back possession.


    They were heavily outmatched, and on this night, they were totally outyed.


    6 minutes after the first goal, Rodri won back possession again, this time dispossessing Austin and without hesitation, he passed to De Bruyne.


    Raising his head and taking one nce, the veteran midfielder hit the ball with the inside of his boot, ying a prative through pass through two Enyimba defenders into the path of the running Erling Hand.


    The Enyimba FC defense was split by the inch-perfect through pass.


    Hand took only 2 touches of the ball, the first touch to slightly control the ball and the next touch to smash the ball into the bottom left corner of the.


    In the 24th minute of the game, Man City was already leading 2-0.


    It was a total walloping.


    After scoring the second goal, Man City seemed to reduce the game intensity a bit as they rotated the ball more, ying more through the midfield but they did manage to set up Hand 2 more times.


    Ojo pulled off a sensational save one time while the other time, one of the Enyimba center backs had to take a yellow card for the team just to stop the rampaging striker from getting his 3rd goal of the game.


    Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden also came close to scoring a few times, but none of it was concrete until the 43rd minute of the game.


    Receiving the ball from Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden went on a mazy run, dribbling down the left side of the pitch past multiple Enyimba yers before floating a cross into the box.


    Despite being tightly marked, Hand managed to sneak out of trouble again, finding enough space and doing the rest with his impressive strength to volley the ball past Ojo into the for his 3rd goal of the night.


    It was a powerful shot into the top right corner, Ojo stood no chance.


    Hand scored a first half hattrick in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup. Immediately after scoring his 3rd, his teammates swarmed him, congratting him and when they were done, Hand did his iconic meditation celebration.


    By then, the Enyimba FC camp already dissolved into chaos as the yers used each other for leaving the striker unmarked.


    Austin tried his best to diffuse the situation but it was only a temporary measure, the team already lost fighting spirit and zeal.


    The first half ended 3-0 in Manchester City''s favor.


    Enyimba FC were humbled.


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