Guys this is By God's grace what happened at the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia remember to vote me as the best writer in January if you so please thank you
Godwin Godson©

I still remember when Nigeria won her first world cup although I was barely seven years old then I still followed all the matches eagerly just as millions of people all over the world
The moon stood, directly on top of the stadium as if it too was watching Nigeria was to play Germany in the final of the World Cup the first African team to achieve that feat it had been a dream world cup for us just like always at the start of the tournament Nigerians had expected our boys to just go and come back
"Show that you were there and come back" like my father put
And when we lost to Argentina three nil in the first match it didn't help to stop the criticism it gave more strength to the critics some even said they should come back and forget the tournament so as not to stop our country's name
"Na England they won beat" I heard one man say when one day when I went to buy paper "abi na Italy na we won come beat"
We had been drawn in a 'Group of Death' England and Italy drew 1-1 in the other match played meaning we were last in our group Germany Italy and Germany taking position one two and three respectively after the first round of matches
Then came the second round on that cool Russian Night we lined up to play Italy earlier in the day Germany had beaten England two nil thus qualifying to the round of 16 with England's world cup dreams looking to be shattered
Earlier that day newspapers carried this headlines WE SHALL BEAT NIGERIA LIKE A LITTLE CHILD - ITALIAN PLAYERS the Italian players had made that statement in a press conference
Peep peep the referee whistle blew starting the game the Italians began playing tiki-taka their latest style of football our players ran after them and they truly were playing with us like little children they had heard news of England's defeat to Germany and reasoned since their only contender for second spot had lost they had already qualified and so decided to play with us
Halftime came and the score was 0-0 the Italians players were laughing and pleased with themselves as they headed for the locker room while our players were sweaty and had disgruntled look on their faces possession was 76-24
Our players returned to the pitch energetic and with frenzy screaming "For the love of Nigeria" "For Nigeria"
What a lovely sight it was obvious they had received a boost from the dressing room
My father remarked "No be only love for Nigeria na love for Ghana"
My father is a good man I must say and I always followed his opinion sometimes lording it over my own on any matter but as a young boy of just Seven for the first time in my life I differed
Thirty five minutes into the second half and the Italians were still playing with us ridiculing us with every pass suddenly an Italian defender Ogbonna a nigerian-born-Italian gave a misplaced pass which Ahmed Musa intercepted and with pace dribbled the last Italian defender everybody in my house(including my father) stood up as we watched Musa approach the Italian goalkeeper Mattia Perin
The goalkeeper rushed out as Musa approached the box eighteen Musa let the ball fly and I watched the ball fly pass the goalkeeper almost like it was in slow-motion the ball headed to the empty spiraling in the air as it went dangerously close to the net
Grin
That metallic still rings in my ear as I think about it the ball had hit the ball and then gone out of the field
Musa collapsed to the ground
The faces of Nigerian fans in the stadium registered clear shock as their faces popped up on the TV screen they were to be in for another shock as three minutes later Italy scored from a Pablo Osvaldo header
"That's it...." The commentator screamed into the telephone "that's it... Nigeria on the verge of going home seven minutes to go now"
Our players lazily passed the ball now having lost all hope and began fouling the Italian players
87 minute
One Nigerian player Ochai was doing last minutes exercise on the side of the pitch this player had scored 25 goals for southampton in the EPL that year he had been injured in friendly match against Portugal before the world cup and wasn't supposed to be fit until the last match. (Coach Stephen Keshi would later say in an interview that Ochai begged him to be featured in the match his words being ".....don't worry Coach the Italians can break the leg but they won't kill me" when Stephen Keshi had asked about his injury)
Ahmed Musa was substituted and the formation was changed to 4-4-2 twenty-one year old Ochai partnering Kelechi Iheanacho in attack
Up till now I don't know how that ball went in Ochai had just taken his place in the Italians half when Nwakali located him with a long pass the ball rolled off Ochai's chest and from forty yards he fired a thunderous shot the ball volleyed over the goalkeeper and lodged itself in a corner of the net
The fans flew in frenzy Ochai the substitute had saved the day Nigeria was then just a few seconds from crashing out of the world cup Ochai's goal came four minutes into a five minute extra time
Godwin Godson part 2 coming up please leave your comments and remember to vote me for Nairaland's best writer of January 2015 please I need the 5thousand to repair my phone thanks guys

Vision 3030 i guess.

Pardon me not Argentina But Germany my phone is acting up and I can't modify it now and pardon the lack of adequate punctuation

@princecalm my brother have faith

GODWINGODSON:
@princecalm my brother have faith

at times we have to be realistic.

How am I not sure this your story is not for the gods?

@princecalm are you trying to say the thought of Nigeria winning the world cup is unrealistic? That's not the mentality we should be having my brother I believe in you even if you don't want to believe in yourself and most importantly I believe in Nigeria

@aletyno I don't understand you bro I can't quote you my phone is acting up

GODWINGODSON:
@princecalm are you trying to say the thought of Nigeria winning the world cup is unrealistic? That's not the mentality we should be having my brother I believe in you even if you don't want to believe in yourself and most importantly I believe in Nigeria

a question for you; before Nigeria went to the 2014 world cup, what were your thoughts about them? Be sincere.

To be honest I was expecting them to reach quarter-final but after I watched the matches I saw no reason why we couldn't win the cup #NoLying