Rise of a Football God

Back in the semifinal of the FIFA Club World Cup, against Fluminense, the South American giant, Enyimba FC was about crashing out of the tournament when Sam displayed something that was incredibly rare even among elite athletes.

The mamba mentality.

To some, it was real. To others, it was a myth but Sam didn't care about all of that as he jogged into this stadium, all he cared about was making his wish real.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Jogging into the stadium, Sam only had one thought in his head. 'Win!'

'Win!' 'Win!' 'Win!'

He chanted it like a mantra, a mantra that made all the electrons in his body flow in an excited state, pushing him into a state of absolute focus.

Sam was introduced into this game in just the 88th minute.

Sitting on the bench since, he was frustrated, angry at his coach even but the moment that he was told to enter the pitch, he forgot all his anger and frustration.

He didn't care that he was being introduced into the game so late, all he cared about was doing what he could to make an impact in that little time.

That was the mamba mentality.

Entering the pitch after replacing Pereira, Sam scanned the pitch, taking everything into his head with his incredible grasp over spatial awareness.

At this moment, he didn't care about being a Kevin De Bruyne, nor did he care about being a Bernardo Silva, all he cared about was being an Erling Haaland.

'I need a goal!'

'I must score a goal!'

'We must get a goal, by all means!'

That last part was very important, Sam entered this pitch with the mentality to snatch the 2nd goal by any means necessary, even if that meant having to drag it from in between the teeth of the devil himself.

His eyes burned like fire, his legs itchy and eager to take part in the proceedings, to impose himself on the pitch.

FWEEEEE!

Thud!

As soon as the referee's whistle sounded and Liverpool FC played the ball, Sam erupted like the spawn of an angry Dark Dragon.

He chased after the ball like his life depended on it, like an angry hound.

To the Liverpool players, they already won the game so they tried to pass it around and kill time. The Fulham players felt the same way, so they only did the bare minimum, eager to get it over with and leave the pitch.

Only one player played with the mentality of a Lion on the pitch at this moment, and his name was Samuel Moses.

Sam ran everywhere, chasing after the ball, showing relentless energy and at times, it made the skillful Liverpool players humiliate him by nutmegging him and passing around him in triangles with no teammate to support him.

The commentator laughed. "Damn! What energy being showed by the young Nigerian but the Liverpool players are just toying with him at this point".

"They're telling him, boy, this is our stage, not yours".

Sam heard all of it but he didn't care about all of that.

All he cared about was the one thought ringing in his head like a bell.

'Win!' 'Win!' 'Win!'

90 minutes passed and Sam was yet to get his first touch of the game, yet he was not deterred, continuously running and chasing the ball down.

4 minutes of additional time was added to the game by the referee.

The first minute of additional time passed, Sam kept on chasing, the same fiery look like a fire was burning in his eyes still on him.

And in the 2nd minute of additional time, Sam finally touched the ball for the first time since entering this game.

Bam!

As soon as the ball touched his leg, Sam felt like electricity just went through his whole body, electricity that triggered electrolytes all over his body, flooding his body with endless adrenaline.

Sam's eyes widened, burning with fire.

There were 2 Liverpool players shadowing and marking him as soon as the ball touched his leg. Shrugging off Harvey Elliot with his sheer size and physicality, as the second player outstretched his leg, Sam pushed and dragged the ball.

Like a snake bite, he executed the elastico dribble, eliminating Diogo Jota like he was not there and immediately, he pushed the ball forward, chasing after it.

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With his pace, he was incredibly swift.

As soon as Sam caught up with the ball, another Liverpool player blocked him. Reducing his speed slightly even as his fiery eyes watched this player alertly, Sam waited, biding his time, baiting him in.

As soon as this player's leg stuck out, Sam executed the la croqueta, cutting through him like a hot knife through butter.

By now, he was now close to the Liverpool 18-yard box.

He had a few passing options, one in Willian to the left and another in Jimenez who was now running into space, calling for a through ball.

Both were appetizing options, but nothing that Pereira had not tried since. The Liverpool FC defense was on top of its game. If he passed, it would result in the same outcome as when Pereira still played.

That was why at this moment, instead of passing, from outside the box, Sam took a look at goal, then…

POW!

His leg hit the ball with venom, the sound reverberating through the stadium like thunder as the ball rose high into the air towards the top left corner of the post.

"…!" For a moment, Craven Cottage became as silent as a church.

Kelleher went on a full-stretch dive and somehow, as if he became flying superhuman himself, Kelleher managed to pull off an incredible save.

Virgil Van Dijk easily shoved Jimenez aside with his shoulder as the striker tried to run after the loose ball. The imposing Liverpool center back arrived at the ball first, calmly protected it before clearing it upfield.

In that moment when Sam ran with the ball, the Fulham afterburners started burning for a few seconds, but now, all of it died again as soon as they lost the ball, turning cold.

All of it except one player, Sam.

Even after the ball was cleared off, Sam continued his run into the Liverpool 18-yard box because he already calculated that the ball would fall to Palhinha, the Fulham defensive midfielder.

Palhinha took one touch of the ball before clearing it blindly back upfield to the Liverpool half, praying for a miracle.

Sam was the furthest player in the Liverpool box as this ball came back in.

From one side, one of the best defenders in the world shadowed him in Virgil Van Dijk while from another side, another of the best center backs in the world in Ibrahima Konate shadowed him but Sam did not react to any of it, only reacting to the voice in his head.

'Win!' 'Win!' 'Win!'

Sam's eyes burned with fire.

His eyes were so focused that drool gathered in his lips.

Sam's wide eyes watched this ball fly through the air, till it started descending, till it finally arrived at his position.

It was a high ball so he jumped, rising into the air after it.

Bam!

The ball hit Sam's chest and like a baby who entered the embrace of its mom, it stopped thrashing about, coming under control.

As soon as the ball hit his chest, Sam's head geared into overdrive, his spatial awareness firing on all cylinders as he accessed his options.

There were no easy passing lanes, all his teammates were ahead of him, away from the Liverpool FC goal and he was with his back towards goal.

There was no easy way of doing it.

But when there is a will, there is a way.

'Win!' 'Win!' 'Win!'

And then, the spark of epiphany came like a beacon of light in darkness, completing the puzzle in Sam's head.

He no longer hesitated.

Thud!

As soon as his legs hit the ground again after his jump even as Virgil Van Dijk slammed into him from behind, trying to shove him off the ball, Sam stood his ground even as his left leg raised up, hitting the ball with his lap.

As the ball rose up again, Sam's eyes followed it, wide open, the same fire burning in them and then, against what anyone expected, he jumped.

Jumping acrobatically, Sam pulled off a move that he had never tried in his career before now, he pulled off an overhead kick!

"Woah! Is that what I think it is?"

"Yes! A bicycle kick and OH MY GODDDDDD!!!!"

"WHAT A GOALLLLL!"

In the last minute of additional time, Sam pulled off a miracle, bringing his team level with an out of this world overhead kick goal.

Kelleher was rooted to the spot.