Confidence can move mountains and expel fear in the presence of courage

April 1988. Coming back from a lunch time game where we play sets in football, Oluwole Ofobutu Akintoye and Niyi Osaka Falade were arguing as usual and the debate got a point where Niyi claimed that SS1:2, the class where a good number of footballers cannot beat SS1:1, a class of different world of students but football was not their strength. The gauntlet was thrown 😱 and before the boys in the class could have a say, the match date has been chosen!

Since it was close to the end of term, the idea was to have the game during lunch time (60 minutes game) and for the game to go into the lesson after the break. Foul! It was blocked and the game had to take place after school.. Hmm. Egbon Gani Tissue Lawal was employed as the ref.

In SS1:1 classroom, the discussions started. Niyi was very confident; people like Tayo Akeju, Folayan Dada and Akeem Awojobi were just wondering we got ourselves into. The team in the other class look irresistible. There was a combination of the best of Class 2Q/3L and 2T/3O combined whilst our class was trying to scrape 11 players. It was like Man City Vs Crystal Palace...

Match day arrives. We talk in the class about what we do. We have no option. Our best plan was to park the bus and counter attack when we can ( we did not know this then but what Niyi says, we take seriously as he is our last line of defence. We go out and we look at our line up:

Niyi “Osaka” Falade. Bode Zembe Akinbode. Damilola langalanga Ogunyakin. Femi SMD Fatokun. Seyi No Manners Ajayi. Folayan Eja yiyan Dada. Akeem kokoro jobijobi Awojobi. Tayo Merin Akeju. Billy Goat Adebusoye. The others were patched in. On the other side, the list was endless ... They had people begging to be on the bench! From Abitoye and Lateef Adebayo fighting to be in goal, Sunday Elewa in the defence, Dele Falade, Yinka Onifade in midfield amongst others, Deji Ajayi, Oluwole Akintoye to strikers like Dotun Adesida as a striker and people like Tope “Parker” fighting his way into the team sheet!

It was David Vs Goliath from the beginning.

But we had Niyi. If confidence is being sold in 💵, he had it in 💰💰💰. Game started. 15 minutes in, we were a goal down. I was thinking iya yii a po.... Gradually, Folayan started to play, Femi and Seyi were putting their foot in and Tayo was doing his rodi when got the ball. At the other end, Oluwole Akintoye was running himself to the ground with no output, Dotun was hitting the post, the bar and over the post. The rest? In Niyi’s hand. 63 minutes, there was a scuffle in from of the SS1:2 goal at the other end... Goal! SS1:1 equalizes. WoW... Niyi calls us back and instructs the centre to be fortified and we park the bus like a team coached by Mourinho... SS1:2 pile on the pressure but SS1:1 did everything possible to thwart them - throwing, corners, anywhere will do kicks, fouls... even Ayo Babade was helping out! Game ends 1:1 and goes to penalties.

The crescendo... First kick to be taken by SS1:1. 1:0. 1:1. 2:1. 2:2. 2:2! Tayo Akeju misses.. head in hands. Rotimi saved it. 2:2! Ofobutu misses! It was more of his stupid jokes with Niyi; or maybe Niyi’s psychic powers worked.. 3:2! Folayan restores the lead. The moment of truth.. Dotun Adesida walks up ... Dotun misses! 3:2 . Tayo Akeju starts dancing; he is off the hook as Niyi has expected more of him and he will never hear the end of it! Wait a minute! Egbon Gani is asking for a retake! Egbe nbi bo🤷🏾‍♂️? Why? The accusation is that Niyi came off his line. Hen! when it is not 2021 with VAR technology.. (back to the future views😀) . Whatever the SS1:1 boys said was on deaf ears. Spot kick has to be re-taken. 😡. Anyway, Niyi starts speaking and saying, Let him retake it, he will not score. From the corner of my eye, I can see Dotun contemplating where to put the ball this time, trying not to be involved in the chaos. Anyway, the spot kick resumes and .. Dotun misses as Niyi saves again! Wait... ref says Niyi was off his line... Ha! O ga o... spot kick has to retaken the third time! The boys of SS1:1 are crest fallen. It seems there is a collusion here with the ref but which one of us will say that Egbon Gani is cheating? Only Egbon Gbenga in our class has bigger thighs and Egbon is praying quietly in our class with his face down on his desk; 300 metres away! Ok o.. we accept. But Niyi is defiant. Je ko tungba! Ko le score! Now most of us are lined just outside of the penalty area and all activity around the field has stopped to watch this. Poor Dotun. Right now, the pressure on him was like that of an English striker taking a penalty kick knowing they never win penalty shoot outs. He puts the ball down for the third time. Niyi stands in goal. He does not move as Dotun runs up and bang! Dotun kick goes over the bar! Niyi is still standing in the same spot! 3:2 with the next kick being the 5th kick. And guess who is taking it? Niyi Falade. Against Rotimi Abitoye ... Niyi slots it past Rotimi and SS1:1 wins. Niyi Falade; a symbol of how a guy can inspire others to against the odds. A leader; full of confidence, defiance and courage.

Every attempt for a rematch was refused. We are taking this memory to our graves..