FOOTBALL! LEGENDARY PLAYER

Under the relentless blaze of the midday sun and with the heat the track that was clearly clay shimmering off like a mirage, Amani and the other participants in the fourth group set off as soon as Coach Mande blew the whistle. The last race in the 2010 AFTA Mombasa trials had begun.

In an explosion of movement and determination, every runner surged forward, their feet pounding the clay track as they raced against time — and each other — under the searing gaze of the sun.

Amani did not waste time assessing his opponents; he simply took off at half of his top speed, careful to pace himself. The race spanned 32 laps, approximately 13 Kilometres (8 Miles) in total. Endurance would determine the victor at the finish line. The obvious strategy was sprinting too soon as it could spell disaster, so he conserved his energy for the crucial final laps.

From the very beginning, two runners established themselves as obvious frontrunners — George Vyner and Tobias Knost. They were clearly in a class of their own. By the second lap, they had found themselves an open space and surged ahead at full speed, leaving the rest of the pack trailing behind and almost overlapping the ones in the back. Sticking stubbornly to them like glue was the one and only Stephen Nondi, the springy boy prodigy from the streets of Nairobi, whose talent had been whispered about among coaches and scouts alike.

Amani noticed a fourth runner with them — someone who was unfamiliar to him, a short but sturdy boy who seemed to have the determination to keep up with the leaders. Though Amani had not encountered him in his previous life, the boy proved himself to be quite a formidable competitor.

By the sixth lap, the lead group of four had distanced themselves from the rest of the runners with quite a big gap. Amani was worried about falling too far behind as he quickly picked up his pace. He pushed forward, gradually closing in the gap, and within moments, he was only a few meters behind them. Yet, despite his acceleration, the leading four refused to relinquish the advantage of their position.

For the next twenty laps, the group of five dominated the track. Their pace was grueling — each lap clocking almost at an average of 70 seconds. Their speed was only ten seconds behind the world's top runners. They had already overlapped the rest of the field, asserting their dominance in this race.

At the forefront was George Vyner, donning in a blue Paris Saint Germain (PSG) jersey. Right behind him, Tobias Knost and Stephen Nondi mirrored who his every stride, both wearing the classic Arsenal O2 jerseys. The fourth runner, though valiant, was beginning to falter. Fatigue weighed him down, and soon, Amani took his chance by overtaking him without difficulty.

None of them wore professional running shoes. Instead, their feet pounded the clay track in football boots — equipment ill-suited for a race of this caliber. Yet, none of them cared. All that mattered was proving themselves worthy.

Amani's focus sharpened. He cruised past Knost and Nondi, feeling the exhilaration of overtaking two of the strongest competitors. By the 28th lap, only George Vyner remained ahead of him.

With three laps to go, Amani increased his stride, inching closer to George Vyner. His opponent sensed the threat and responded with a sudden burst of speed, desperate to maintain his lead. But Amani had trained for this. His daily five-mile runs over the past month had honed his endurance, and now he reaped the benefits of his hard work.

By the end of the 29th lap, Amani overtook Vyner.

His excitement threatened to consume him, but he forced himself to stay focused. He could not afford to celebrate too soon. The rhythm of his strides was the beat to his own personal melody, a composition of effort and willpower. The spikes of his boots dug into the clay track, gripping the earth as he propelled himself forward. Sweat dripped from his forehead, but he barely noticed.

Then, just as he reached the last lap with only 800 meters left, a shadow darted past him.

Stephen Nondi.

Like a bullet, the boy prodigy overtook Amani, leaving him stunned. The gap widened in seconds.

'Shit!'

Panic surged through him. He tried to accelerate, but Nondi was fast, faster than Amani could have anticipated.

'Am I going to lose?'

Doubt crept in, whispering as that victory was slipping through his fingers. His legs burned with every stride as exhaustion seeped into every fiber of his body. His breaths came in ragged gasps. The pain was overwhelming, a deep ocean of fatigue threatening to pull him under.

'I have to win this. No matter what.'

But... he was not willing to give up.

With sheer determination, he summoned energy reserves he never knew he had. He pushed his body to the limit, willing himself to go faster, to break past the pain in his legs. Every step was a battle. Every breath was a test of his will.

~~~

On the sidelines, Coach Juma observed the race with a keen interest in his eyes. He had been following this particular group closely for the past year, intrigued by two standout participants. Both had been on the radar of scouts from Bamburi FC, and their past performances had hinted at greatness. Stephen Nondi, the secondary school sensation from Nairobi, had already made a name for himself. Amani Hamadi, on the other hand, had been a rising star in Malindi, leading his primary school to victory and earning the title of the best player in the 2009 Coast under-14 regionals.

"They're giving quite a show," Coach Mande remarked from beside him. "Nondi's got this race in the bag. Amani and the others are spent."

Coach Juma smiled knowingly. "A competition is never over until the very end."

~~~

The race was nearly decided as Nondi surged forward, his lead growing with every powerful stride. A confident grin spread across his face as he neared the finish line, each step a testament to his determination and raw speed. Meanwhile, Amani pursued him with relentless intensity, his legs pumping and his heart pounding as he pushed against every ounce of fatigue.

What had been a barely noticeable gap moments before was now expanding steadily, casting a shadow of doubt over Amani's chances. The track seemed to echo with the sound of pounding feet and the labored breaths of competitors, as Amani fought to close the distance and reclaim his momentum in this high-stakes contest.

Then, something incredible happened.

With half a lap to go, Amani made his final move. His form contorted slightly, his legs moving like a galloping horse. He sprinted with everything he had left.

Thirty meters remained.

Gap closing.

Twenty meters.

Nondi's lead was shrinking.

Ten meters.

Amani surged past him, breaking through the last barrier of exhaustion.

He crossed the finish line first.

~~~

After the race, the participants gathered as Coach Mande read out the names of those who had qualified for the next stage. One by one, names were called, each met with murmurs and anticipation.

"Amani Hamadi."

The final name.

Amani grinned as he stepped forward, his victory now official. Yet, as he moved into the center circle, he felt the weight of newfound attention. The other selected players, including his former classmates Tony and Patrick, eyed him with a mixture of respect and resentment.

Ignoring them, Amani settled into a seat. He had other matters to attend to.

Opening his system interface, he reviewed his mission results:

****

LEGENDARY MISSIONS

#4 new messages

CONGRATULATIONS!

You have completed 1st task in the serial mission!

Mission Complete: First in the physical fitness testing at the football trials.

Mission Rewards:

B-grade agility-enhancing elixir

(Available in the system shop; must be consumed within 5 seconds of retrieval).

Bonus reward: 2 Points.

Mission Rating: A+

****

Amani smirked. His path was unfolding as planned. His destiny was changing.

Before dismissing them, Coach Juma addressed the group. "Tomorrow, several renowned scouts will be here to watch you play. Be here by eight sharp, or face immediate disqualification."

A hand shot up.

"Yes?" Coach Juma acknowledged.

The boy hesitated before speaking. "Sir, my name is Malik Njoroge. What will the trials involve? How should we prepare?"

Amani's eyes widened. 'So, he's Malik Njoroge.'

Memories surfaced — Malik had been a rising star, but tragedy had struck before he could make it to Europe. A life lost too soon.

'I won't let it happen this time,' Amani resolved.

Coach Juma's voice broke through his thoughts. "The trials will consist of matches tomorrow. Eat well, rest well, and come prepared."

"Any more questions?"

All the players remained silent.

"Okay, you're dismissed," Coach Juma waved impatiently. "We'll see you all tomorrow."

With that, they were dismissed.

As Amani walked off the field, he clenched his fists. His journey had just begun, and this time, he would change fate — not just for himself, but for others as well.