Rise of a Football God

(NEW! Unread message from Eric Chelle…)

'Eric Chelle…,' Sam deliberated over the name for some time.

It was not a name that he was unfamiliar with.

Eric Chelle was the newly appointed head coach of the Nigerian national football team, the Super Eagles, whose appointment was announced months ago.

The former Mali boss already led the Super Eagles through a few games, including World Cup qualifier games back in September against Rwanda and South Africa that ended horribly despite them playing one of them at home.

Against Rwanda, the Super Eagles could only settle for a draw at home while agonizingly, they lost against South Africa in away ground.

In recent years, the Super Eagles were struggling to make an impact in the world stage as they rotated through several coaches.

Despite making the final of the 2023 AFCON tournament (Africa Cup of Nations), the Nigerian national football team has been in a period of decline since then. This was despite the plethora of talent available to them.

Their World Cup qualifying bid has been going contrary to expectations, compounded by the disappointing results against Rwanda and South Africa. Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire

Eric Chelle just got his job a few months ago and yet, it was already under threat simply because he would not keep it if Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The nation was in a state of unrest simply due to their national team failing to quality for the World Cup yet by this time.

Upcoming World Cup qualifier games against Lesotho and Benin Republic in October were Nigeria's last chances to sneak into the FIFA World Cup.

And to secure that spot, they had to win against both countries.

Both were must-win games!

Sam made his national team debut months ago but since his red card, the coach refused to call him up again for the national team.

But since then, his status had changed significantly.

He was no longer just a rising star of the English premier league. By actually doing it, dragging Fulham to the premier league title and FA Cup double, Sam entrenched his name in premier league folklore.

He was a legend of the premier league and his skill was undenied.

His move to FC Barcelona was the perfect acknowledgement of his ability, and after his display in the UEFA champions league, his fame was back.

Since his red card, Sam didn't pay too much attention to the Nigerian national football team but he still knew the outcome of their games and also knew that they were in a qualification crisis for the FIFA World Cup.

This was why on seeing the name that was on the message title, he already guessed what this was about.

He was right.

The message from Eric Chelle was simple and straight to the point.

After introducing himself, he didn't beat around the bush, revealing his intentions for Sam to play in his team.

The coach didn't pull any punches, revealing how much he valued him and his ability. In the coach's words, Nigeria was a nation in need of a hero.

And he believed that Sam could be this hero.

Well…, it had been a long time since Sam felt so flattered.

'This bastard!' He rubbed his nose awkwardly. 'He must have been really good at rizzing up the girls in his teenage years!'

He chuckled. "But this…," he thought.

"I can't refuse it".

No matter his condition and the economic situation of his country, Sam was Nigerian through and through.

As a young boy, he knew how much football meant to the country.

Football was a way for netizens to forget the numerous problems plaguing the country. Taking football away from Nigerians in a way could be equated to taking away their source of joy.

This was why Sam made his decision immediately.

(World Cup Qualifiers- Group Stage:)

(Matchday 9 of 10:)

(Lesotho – Nigeria)

(Date: 6th October, 2025)

…

(Matchday 10 of 10:)

(Nigeria – Benin)

(Date: 13th October, 2025)

Both games were scheduled for 6th and 13th of October respectively, dates that clashed with Sam's own club commitments.

After their UEFA champions league clash against Brest, FC Barcelona had Spanish La Liga clashes against Alaves and Sevilla respectively on the 6th and 20th of October.

If Sam was to respond to the national call, he was going to miss at least 1 of the 2 games. Was the risk worth it?

Most especially in a time when the Catalan club just lost their starting striker and were in need of his expertise.

Despite what was at stake, Sam willingly took the risk.

The next morning, Sam called Hansi Flick and spoke extensively with the German coach, explaining his reasoning for deciding to respond to the national call.

In the end, though he was reluctant, Hansi Flick begrudgingly agreed to let him go but he was only allowed to miss 1 game, the game against Alaves on the 6th.

The German coach didn't care how Sam was going to do it but he gave his player an ultimatum, Sam was to be ready and prepped for the Sevilla game before 20th of October and Sam agreed to it.

With his physical conditioning elixirs, in terms of dealing with fatigue and post-match stress, Sam could beat his chest that no other footballer in the world had it better than him.

And with that, he rescheduled.

That same day, he put a call to Eric Chelle, informing the coach of his decision to respond to his summons.

Eric Chelle was ecstatic.

Later in the evening, alongside his girlfriend, Sam finally embarked on a trip back to Nigeria.

The news that Sam was to miss the FC Barcelona game against Alaves and instead responded to national team duty soon took the internet by storm.

There were mixed responses to his decision but among the Nigerian fans, all of them were ecstatic, feeling that their coach finally made a sensible decision.

In Europe, Sam was no longer a figure of obscurity.

He was a big figure in the footballing world now, and the reaction of the Nigerian fans to his arrival was normal.

Sam arrived in Nigeria with his girlfriend to big fanfare.

Skipping most of the activities, he quickly found a way home to his mansion in Abuja. The next day, he met up with Eric Chelle as they spoke extensively, enabling Sam to know about his plans for the national team.

Sam was more than satisfied with what he heard, he bought into Eric Chelle's ideology for the Nigerian national team.

With that, they got something to work with.

From the 3rd of October, intense training for the game against Lesotho started as Sam once again integrated with the rest of the Nigerian squad.

Unlike during his debut though, he was no longer a small figure.

Standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, Sam no longer looked inferior, he was now on their level despite being just 19 years of age.

It was actually crazy but it was reality.

His national teammates also didn't care about his age. They've watched his game, they knew what he could do with a ball at his feet and they respected him for it and so they took him like he was some veteran.

Besides, Alex Iwobi was his advocate in the Nigerian team.

Watching the Nigerian team train for the epic World Cup qualifying clash, one thing became clear. Eric Chelle took a bold decision, deciding to make Samuel Moses, a 19-year-old the core of his Nigerian team.

It was an incredibly bold and risky decision; would it pay off?

Nobody could tell.

On the 5th of October though, alongside his national teammates, Sam took a flight to Lesotho for the game that could change Nigerian football history.