The sun was already climbing when Kelechi walked onto the dusty football pitch behind the community hall, today was not just any kind of match day, it was the final game of the local tournament, the one he had been dreaming of winning for many years now , so his team, Eagle Stars, had worked so hard for this moment, and he Kelechi was their captain.
But the real tension was not from the game, it was from his friend, Tunji.
So Tunji had been his best friend since they were in primary school, they also played football together, ate together, even got punished together for any little thing, but then two weeks before the finals, Tunji had decided to join the rival team, Hurricane FC, he didn’t even explain why he did so.
Kelechi still had not forgiven him and then as he laced his boots, he heard someone's footsteps behind him.
“Kelechi,” the voice said quietly, it was Tunji.
Kelechi didn’t look up, "Guy you are on the wrong side of the pitch.”
Tunji sighed, “Omo, you still dey vex for me? But you I didn’t do anything against you na?.”
“Don't say that thing, guy you left my team when we needed you most,” Kelechi snapped, "That’s something.”
Tunji walked around to face him, “See my uncle is sponsoring Hurricane FC, so he insisted, If I didn’t join, I would have bigger problems at home, and you think I just wanted to leave like that?”
Kelechi paused, He hadn’t known that part.
But he wasn’t ready to let it go, “You could have told me.”
Tunji looked away. “I didn’t want you to feel betrayed.”
“Well, I feel it anyway.”
Before Tunji could respond, Coach Bello blew the whistle, “Warm up! Ten minutes!”
Tunji jogged off, leaving Kelechi with a twisting knot in his chest.
The match kicked off with very loud cheers from both sides of the field, parents, siblings, neighbours, everyone wanted to see who would carry the trophy home.
There Kelechi was playing like a man that was possessed, he was weaving through defenders and then taking shots, but Hurricane FC was tough, and coupled with Tunji on their side, they were even tougher.
Then Halfway through the match, the score was still 0-0, sweat dripped down Kelechi’s face as he bent over to catch his breath.
“Omo We need one goal, captain,” his teammate, Emeka, said, “Abeg just one.”
Kelechi nodded, “ we keep playing, we will get it.”
So when play resumed, Kelechi found himself face to face with Tunji on the field, Tunji blocked him at every chance, reading his moves like a book ,after all, they had always practiced together for years.
“Kelechi o” Tunji said between breaths, “you know you don’t have to hate me?.”
“see guy I don’t hate you,” Kelechi muttered, dribbling past him, “ Omo I just don’t trust you right now.”
As he kicked the ball forward, but another defender stopped it.
The game went on and was now tense, hot, and very unforgiving, then with just ten minutes left for the game to end.
Tunji had the ball near midfield, he ran forward with the ball , dribbling past two defenders, now it was the perfect chance to score.
But Kelechi really chased him down, adrenaline running through him, as Tunji lined up the shot, Kelechi slid in for a tackle.
He then missed the ball and 'swept' Tunji right off his feet.
With a thud, Tunji hit the ground ,the referee's whistle pierced the air. "Penalty!"
The crowd erupted in noise, with cheers and disputes taking center stage.
Kelechi froze, he had just given the rival team the easiest chance to win.
Tunji groaned, trying to sit up.
Kelechi rushed to him, “Tunji, are you okay? I didn’t mean to ,–”
Tunji winced. “I know, It’s football, just Chill.”
The penalty was taken, and scored. Hurricane FC went up 1-0.
When the final whistle blew, Eagle Stars were defeated , Hurricane FC lifted the trophy, and Kelechi stood among his teammates, heart heavy.
Then Later, after the crowd had thinned out, Kelechi sat on the edge of the pitch, staring at nothing, his captain band felt tighter than usual on his arm.
Tunji walked over, holding two plastic bottles of water, he dropped one beside Kelechi.
“I’m sorry,” Kelechi said quietly.
Tunji laughed, surprising him. “For what? Tackling me? Bro, that was a clean attempt, youu just missed the ball.”
Kelechi cracked a small smile, “Still cost us the match.”
Tunji sat down, “Maybe, but t you know what my uncle told me after the game? That I’m too emotional on the field, If you hadn’t tackled me, maybe he wouldn’t have noticed that, Now I know what to work on.”
Kelechi wiped sweat from his face. “So what you are saying me falling apart helped you?”
“Pretty much,” Tunji grinned, “You win some, you lose some.”
Kelechi shook his head, “I wanted that trophy so bad.”
“I know,” Tunji said softly, “but you didn’t lose everything. You still have your team, and…” He paused, “You still have me, if you want.”
Kelechi sighed deeply, “I do, but next time, stay on my team.”
Tunji burst out laughing, “If my uncle allows it!”
They both laughed for the first time in weeks.
The trophy had slipped through Kelechi’s fingers, yes, but he realized something , not all losses were real losses, sometimes you lose a match but gain back a friendship, Sometimes life takes one thing and gives another.
And that was enough.
*Image Generated With Meta AI
