Rise of a Football God

(Nigerian Daily:)

(Samuel Moses- The boy becomes a Man:)

(From the streets of Abraka, to the stadium in Abba, the little 17-year-old boy with a frame too tall and imposing for his age has matured, now carrying a nation on his shoulders at just 19. Have Nigeria produced a generational talent, finally?)

…

(Daily Sun:)

(A Sam header in the 90 plus 5-minute seals a narrow win for Nigeria!)

(Click to watch the best moments of the game here=)

…

(ESPN News:)

(Samuel Moses, a ballon d'or contender?)

(He's been doing it for Fulham, now he does it for FC Barcelona, and today he's done it for his country! Where has he not done it?)

(Let's break it down and analyze the numbers. With the goal today against Lesotho, Samuel Moses takes his tally for the season to 6 goals and 2 assists in 6 games, despite the interruption to his season due to the scandal.)

(Forget the numbers, put him through the eye test and make your verdict. Is Samuel Moses an early contender for the Ballon d'or award?)

Even as the ballon d'or award ceremony for the last season ramped up, the official date drawing closer every day, the race for the new ballon d'or award already started and Sam was among the early favorites already.

Doing it for your club attracts a lot of attention and admiration, but doing it for your country? It attracts more than just attention, it attracts respect.

Afterall, donning the colors of your national jersey and performing with it, to most professional football players, there was nothing more valiant than that.

This was why Sam caused another online storm just after the one he caused in the champions league after his hattrick for FC Barcelona against Brest when he put out a masterpiece playing as a false 9.

Of course, by the end of the Lesotho game, Sam was awarded with the man of the match award, warranting another post-match interview.

"Good evening Sam, thanks for having me," the reporter smiled. "You're clearly in terrific form. We've seen that in FC Barcelona but bringing that to the national team, you truly are one of a kind".

"You may not know it yet but you're now carrying the weight of a whole nation on your shoulders".

"If you didn't score that last minute goal, Nigeria would have been sent packing from the FIFA World Cup 2026 early".

"But with that goal, Nigeria took a big first step towards qualification".

"After your performance today, a lot of people online believe that you've finally matured from a boy to become a man, what do you think?"

Sam chuckled. "I don't know, I really don't like giving opinions about myself". He smiled. "I leave that to the fans; I believe their judgement more".

"About the game though," he sighed, wiping away his sweat. "I expected it to be tough but not this tough," he chuckled again. "Lesotho played an amazing game; they've earned the respect of all Nigerians across the world".

"If not for a bit of luck on our part, we would have never won".

Sam looked straight at the camera. "I want to use this avenue to tell all Nigerians that we will not give up!"

"We've taken the first step; we'll definitely take the last one!"

"Next week, against Benin Republic, we're going to win a second time to book a spot in the FIFA World Cup!"

With that, the interview came to an end.

…

When the Nigerian squad got back home to Nigeria, they got a triumphant welcome back but they did not let it get to their heads.

Afterall, they still had one last hurdle to cross, the hurdle of Benin.

They dared not be complacent as for the next few days, together in the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja, the Nigerian squad trained intensely, preparing for their final FIFA World Cup qualifier game against Benin Republic.

After Sam's heroics against Lesotho, the respect he commanded in the Nigerian dressing room increased even more.

His teammates and his coach respected him.

And where Sam was respected, his genius shows.

In training, his level continued increasing in every single training session, growing to a truly terrifying level as Sam showed how prepared he was for Nigeria's last game of the World Cup qualifiers.

Mentally, he was a monster and now, physically, he was also at his peak.

Train, train, and more training…

This was Sam's schedule for the next few days after the Lesotho game, he conditioned his body and mind to its possible peak state.

Like this, time moved fast and in a short while, D-day was here.

(Matchday 10 of 10:)

(Nigeria – Benin)

(Date: 13th October, 2025)

Unlike the Lesotho game, this time, it was a home game for the Nigerians.

On the 12th of October, Nigeria welcomed the Benin Republic national team and the next day, on the 13th, they lined up in the Moshood Abiola national stadium for the final clash of World Cup qualifying.

It was international football…, and it was matchday.

The Moshood Abiola national stadium in Abuja became a cauldron of passion on this decisive matchday, the last of FIFA World Cup qualifying.

Over 60,000 fans, draped in Nigeria's iconic green and white flood the stands, their voices merging into a thunderous roar that shook the very foundations of this old stadium.

"Owe owe owe owe…, owe…, owe…!" They sang with exuberant energy, eager to ride this last journey alongside their country.

The reception for this game was bigger than expected.

Afterall, a lot of football fans already gave up on Nigeria's qualification chances but after the masterstroke that Eric Chelle pulled in convincing Sam to abandon his club duties and play for Nigeria, resulting in the Lesotho display, millions of football fans across the country were suddenly interested again.

It was a nation reinfused with hope again.

The air was thick with anticipation, a mix of nervous tension and unwavering belief. Drums pound rhythmically, trumpets blared, and vuvuzelas screamed into the night, creating a wall of sound that drowned out even the announcer's voice.

Waves of chanting and singing swept through the crowd, a relentless tide of national pride.

On the pitch, the Super Eagles stood tall, soaking all the energy in, their eyes burning with determination.

As for the Beninese players, though talented, they felt the weight of the atmosphere created by the Nigerians; the intimidation was real.

And then…
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FWEEE!

The game started.