As soon as Ken stepped onto the pitch, everything changed.
The tempo shifted, and his teammates immediately looked to him for direction, eager to feed him the ball. Ken didn't shirt from the responsibility. He took control, dictating the rhythm with sharp passes and swift movement, igniting a surge of determination throughout the team.
In the 79th minute, opportunity struck. An Itamaga Lions defender pushed forward in an overlapping run, but Ken stole the ball cleanly from his feet.
It was the perfect setup for a counter-attack. Sprinting down the center, two defenders tracked him, while Emeka and Ozil surged down opposite flanks.
Ken feinted right, pulling both defenders with him, isolating Emeka on the left. Then, with a graceful flick of his left boot, he sent a slick, flair-filled pass across the field towards his target… Emeka.
Emeka took one touch, then rifled the ball into the bottom right corner.
"GOALLLL!!!"
The crowd exploded. Ken snatched the ball from the net and dashed back to the center circle, slamming it down with purpose.
"C'mon boys, push harder, press higher!" Coach John-Bosco's voice bellowed from the sidelines, suddenly infused with energy.
With less than ten minutes remaining on the clock, many would have seen the goal as a mere consolation. But not Ken. Not with that fire burning inside, igniting his being with adrenaline.
The game resulted, and the Elepe Tornadoes attacked with a fury. Their intense pressing rattled Itamaga Lions, forcing a poor pas.
Modric, their midfield general pounced, winning back the ball.
Ken was already on the move, cutting in from the left flank.
"Through ball!" "Through ball!" He yelled.
Modric, living up to his nickname with a signature trivela curled a pass forward with the outside of his boot.
Ken's blistering pace did the rest. He outpaced the last defender and timed his jump perfectly. The ball dropped, and he met it with an acrobatic volley, slamming it into the top-right corner.
"GOALLLL!"
The stadium roared once more. Ken grabbed the ball just like Emeka, ran back, placed it at the center spot, and prepared for the next assault.
Elepe Tornadoes 2 - 4 Itamaga Lions.
83 minutes played.
The pressure kept mounting. In the 88th minute, the Tornadoes recklessly pressed high. Their right back, Cancelo made a brilliant tackle, winning the ball and quickly feeding Ozil who spotted Ken free in midfield.
He passed it short.
Ken controlled the ball and drove forward. The defenders gave him too much space. From 32 yards out, he decided to gamble.
With nothing to lose, he let fly.
BAM!
Ken let loose a thunderous shot.
The ball rocketed through the air, dipped late, and forced a desperate save from the goalkeeper who tipped it into the crossbar.
"Ahhh! F*ck!" Ken cursed in frustration, heading toward the box for the corner kick.
Ozil whipped the corner in. Rising above the defense, Ken met it cleanly with his head, sending it crashing past the goalkeeper at the near post.
"GOALLLL!"
Elepe Tornadoes 3-4 Itamaga Lions.
90 minutes.
Ken jogged back with the ball again, eyes flicking to the stands. There she was; Precious, cheering wildly. Her voice rose above the noise, pushing him forward with effortless ease. Ken smiled.
Four minutes of added time. Maybe, a miracle could happen.
The Lions turned to time-wasting tactics as soon as the game restarted, flopping to the ground, dragging out fouls. But Ken and the Tornadoes wouldn't be denied.
At the 93rd minute, the Lions hoofed a clearance wide. Goalkick.
Then, SK, their goalkeeper motioned everyone forward before launching a booming kick up field. Ahmed, towering above all rose to meet it and nodded it backward with power.
The ball dropped toward Ken who had his back to goal. Timing it perfectly, he leapt and flicked the ball backward with his heel; an audacious bicycle-style kick.
The ball flew into the top left corner.
"GOALLLL!"
The crowd erupted into chaos. Ken bolted towards the stands, pulling Precious into a joyful embrace.
The Elepe bench flooded the pitch in celebration.
A hattrick. From 4-0 down to 4-4, a miracle.
The referee blew the whistle. Full-time.
Then, extra time.
Coach John-Bosco rushed toward Ken and wrapped him in a hug.
"I'm sorry, Ken," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I let my pride get in the way. Now, let's win this".
He wasted no time switching tactics.
"Emeka, off. Tajudeen, in. Ozil, off. Ebuka, you're on. We're going 4-2-3-1. Ken, keep controlling the game".
The first half of extra time began cautiously, both teams playing conservatively as they didn't want to concede a goal.
But in the 105th minute, a blunder changed everything.
Under pressure, the Lions' goalkeeper misfired a goalkick straight to Tajudeen, sending the stadium into a frenzy.
With ice in his veins, Tajudeen dribbled past the scrambling goalkeeper and slotted the ball into the net.
"GOALLLL!!!"
He raced to the stands, eyes wide in joy and passion as he pulled off an iconic celebration, leaping into the air.
"Suiiiiiii!"
He did the Ronaldo suiii celebration.
"What a comeback!" Ken laughed, leaping onto him.
"Your presence changed the game, you're the G.O.A.T," Tajudeen grinned.
Elepe led 5-4.
"Alright boys," Coach Bosco called, smirking. "Time to park the bus. Go down if someone breathes on you!"
The second half of extra time was a masterclass in time-wasting. Ken took a light foul and rolled theatrically, milking the clock. The minutes ticked away.
As darkness fell and tensions peaked, the Lions had one last chance, a corner.
Even their goalkeeper came forward.
The ball flew in. SK punched it away to midfield. Ken, waiting on the edge, burst forward with unstoppable pace. No one could catch him.
He took a touch… then fired into the empty net.
"GOALLLLLL!!!"
The stadium erupted. Chants, flags, cheers; it was pandemonium.
The referee's whistle pierced the celebration.
[Full-Time: Elepe Tornadoes 6 – 4 Itamaga Lions]
Ken sprinted to the stands and grabbed Precious in another joyful hug.
"We did it, Precious!"
"It was incredible, Ken. I'm so proud of you!"
Their moment, however was short-lived, because a fight broke out in the stands. Chaos erupted. Bottles flew, fists swung, and fans scattered.
"Come on!" Ken shouted, grabbing her hand. "Let's get out of here!"
They dashed toward the bus stop and jumped on the first available vehicle, hearts pounding.
They escaped.
…
Back home, as the bus pulled up, Ken saw his parents' car parked outside. He checked his phone.
[7:30pm]
He exhaled deeply.
What a night.