Playing football is most male child's dream especially when they grow on the street as I did, we do see star football as our role model and in everything we do on the field of play, we always try to be the replica of our idol.
I was very passionate about football and I would do anything just to make sure my evenings are free during the holidays, it was very funny how I always believed that my day wouldn't end without playing football but that was just the child in me talking.
There are nights I have multiple dreams of becoming one of the greatest footballers in the world, only for me to wake up to the reality of just been a child with so much passion for the game.
It all started in school, I was selected into the junior football team and because of my height, I was fixed in defense just to scare off opponents. Sometimes the height worked and young children like me lose confidence trying to get past me but I wasn't satisfied because I have the feeling that I could do more than just defending. Then defenders weren't honored like the strikers/midfielders and that was part of the reason the defending role became boring to me.
I started grumbling whenever I was been called up by our coaches who were senior students in the same school and that made me lose my spot in the team, everyone felt like I wasn't contended so they had to replace me with many students who are trying to get into the team. I wasn't completely sent off but I was always left out of action and that was the most annoying thing to me.
After missing too much in school activities, I started visiting the local field in the neighborhood. It was pretty tough getting attention because there are lots of children who could perform very well more than I can but I kept on going that hopefully, my time will come someday. I wasn't bothered by the school anymore but I do attend every necessary call from our coach because I knew it wasn't over for me with the school team.
On this fateful day, while I was watching football on the street, one of the sets needed one more person to complete the team. The team consisted of young kids like me, the good guys avoided the group because they believe they had nothing to offer. I didn't know who is who and that made me join them immediately, the eldest in the team asked which role I played and I reply "I play in attack sir". He smiled and said " that's what the set is lacking", I was really happy because it was the opportunity for me to shine.
A lot of action went down and it got to our turn to face the reigning champion for the day, they were older and they physically scared me but I manage to hide my fear.
Been my first time playing in such an environment, I was nervous and made errors passing wrongly and shooting terribly but we were able to hold the team for the first 15 minutes. If the second 15 minutes ends without a goal, the match-winner will be decided with a penalty.
In the second half, I was beginning to gain confidence and it paid off for the team. I got a long cross which I controlled with my chest even though it wasn't perfect and hurting, I swung it directly at the post immediately it dropped from my chest.
It went straight into the net and couldn't believe I did that, immediately I was been called PAPILO because no one knew my name.
It went on from that day and I became very famous due to my scoring ability and I was eager to return to action in the school team even though we have grown bigger than we were then. I was left out of action for almost 2 classes and we were in the final year of junior secondary school. A Cup was hosted in school just for the coaches to discover new talents and I saw an opportunity for myself to return because lots of teams were formed.
I got a team and we did our best until the final four when we were defeated by another team but luckily for me, no one scored more goals than I did until the finals and it made me famous again in the school. The success made me gain my spot back in the team and I was placed among the strikers for the junior secondary school team, I felt really happy and appreciated the efforts of the guys I played with on the street because they helped me develop my playing ability.
These guys would drag me along to different football auditions which didn't go well for me but they didn't lose faith in me and I didn't give up on myself as well. There was a particular one I almost got selected but was dropped due to my stamina but I was happy some of my friends were selected and many believed that luck wasn't on my side yet.
The once-neglected boy on the street became irresistible whenever teams are been formed, everyone wanted me in the team and I was always happy about that but some things came up after these wonderful moments and it made my dream of becoming a footballer look impossible.
Watch out for my next story on my childhood passion...