We were outnumbered and forced to take to our heels.
For the love of football, I have been to a lot of places with friends and teammates to show our prowess in the game. Before school came in the way, I ensured nothing stopped me from going to play football every weekday, and then I watched professionals play every weekend. Then it was like my life depended on and revolved around football; everything I did had to be related to the game of football in one way or another.
designed in canva.
We have been to communities I never thought existed for the game of football; we visited a typical village once, and we did not have to wait for anyone to tell us to be of good behavior because of how far away we were from home. If anything should lead to a fight, we are definitely not going to win, but sometimes fighting is inevitable in the game, but you must check and weigh the probability of winning before you let it happen.
As a team, we had each other's back. One man's fight is a fight for all, but peace is always the best option. Instead of going into a fight, we try to calm the situation down, as violence is not what the game of football represents. Football helps build and promote unity, brings people from around the globe together, and makes them all pursue the same goal, which is to see their teams win. That is the beauty of the game and what it stands for.
"Hey, kachi We have a football match on Friday; I hope you will be available," my team captain asked after we ran into each other at the market.
"Definitely, as long as it is football-related, even if it is midnight, call me and I won't disappoint you," I responded as we shook hands and parted ways.
If not for adulthood and studies, the one thing I dedicated my entire life to was football. I even had a dream of pursuing a professional career in football, but my dad wanted me to study engineering. I had to give up that dream and focus on engineering just to see to it that my dad was happy. Also, my country hardly supports athletes, so pursuing such a dream was like pouring water on a duck's back.
The long-anticipated Friday finally arrived, and I couldn't wait for the time stipulated for the game. I kept imagining how the match would be and even the match results. We arrived in the town where the match was scheduled to take place, and our opponents had more supporters than we did, while we had very few.
"You guys must play this game of football like you mean it; play like you want to win. Avoid fighting and quarreling on the pitch; we are here for football. Let's play football and go back home in peace. Is that clear?" Our coach said before kickoff
"Yes, sir," we all responded.
The match started, and these guys were playing like we came for war and not football; it felt like they had other intentions.
"If you miss the ball, don't miss their legs," their coach said with a very loud voice.
One of our players retaliated to their intentional fouls, and all their supporters ran into the field. We managed to calm the situation since we were outnumbered, and the moment peace was restored, we took to our heels instead of standing our ground to fight.
Violence really solves nothing.
Violence really doesn't solve anything.
Sometimes the "better part of valor" is to turn and run! It was interesting reading about your passion for the sport. It is the most popular sport in the world for good reason. It is unfortunate that things escalate to violence in the stadiums, though. Thank you for sharing your creative nonfiction story in The Ink Well, and for reading and commenting on the work of other community members.
It is really my pleasure posting on the ink well community, it is really helping me improve.
It was wise to have fled because it was a secluded village or town and anything could have gone wrong. Not fighting all the time is a part of fighting.
Before we pick a fight, we must weigh and check the possibility of winning. We did that and realised we don't stand a chance..
The competitiveness of the sport should be enough to dilute any disagreement between rivals. But not all athletes understand it this way and conflicts often occur. Great story.
It is good that you guys took to your heel instead of fighting back. It's obvious that they failed to exhibit the spirit of sportsmanship. The game of football is for fun and unity globally. It is sad that some people take things to the extreme due to unguarded emotions.