The Mundial, the world’s largest and most exciting sporting fiesta, is on-going. The tempo is fever-pitched and it may be said that every man or woman for that matter who has any blood running in his veins is a partaker of this round leather carnival for the next one month, excitement, euphoria and shouts of joy will herald every goal scored in faraway Russia. If we listen carefully we might just catch the seismic reverberations around the globe when the world shouts gooooaaal in unison!
Now how did it come to be that Hardball scored a hat trick? No, the first question has to be how did it come to happen that Hardball was playing football?
Well, as the story streamed, Hardball found itself playing in a major tournament; whether it is in the on-going World Cup or UEFA Champions League final was difficult to ascertain. But that he was doing exploits in a big tournament was all that mattered.
It also streamed that commentators profiled him as being a graduate of the world famous Aspire Academy. But not the massive one in Doha, Qatar which has been a model for many countries to emulate. It turned out yet again that a Qatar Academy annex has been built in Kano by none other than the ancient city’s, nay, Nigeria’s most illustrious son, and money man, Aliko Dangote (May he find eternal favour from Allah).
And in no time, it has churned great footballing talents from Kano like Ahmed Musa. In fact, record shows that in a short time, there are already enough Ahmed Musa’s in Kano to set up four Super Eagles teams. Indeed, raw talents across Nigeria and the West Coast are said to be trooping to Aspire Academy, Kano.
It was in this sporting furnace that Hardball was said to have been wrought and now stands tall as a world class player. So there was Hardball playing in this tournament as an offensive mild-fielder (that must be the number 10 position).
Barely one minute of commencement of the match, springs-in-foot Hardball quickly displaced two defenders, immobilised another and felled yet one more as if he were a log of wood, before picking his spot at a corner of the goal post.
The second goal was not unrelated to the first having mesmerised the opponent’s defenders as if he were a snake charmer before tucking in the ball.
And here is the hat trick or so he thought: Hardball received a pass at the periphery of the opponent’s 18-yard box. One look, the goalkeeper was off his line and he arcs to release a firecracker of a shot when a defender throws his foot in the mix. A searing pain explodes in Hardball’s head.
And Hardball wakes up.
He has smashed his toes against his bedpost!
