Chapter 8 – Cracks in the Miracle
The morning after the second victory, The Daily Nation headline screamed:
"From Slum to Stadium: David Mwangi's Revolution."
.
The photo showed David standing with his arms crossed, rain pouring behind him, a faint smile on his lips.
But David wasn't smiling that morning.
At training, he noticed it — the shift.
Samuel, the humble winger, now arrived in sunglasses, laughing a bit too loud. Kevin, the captain, barely spoke. He kicked passes harder than needed.
David blew his whistle.
"Stop. Circle up."
He looked each of them in the eye. "You think two wins make you legends? You're not even halfway to being a team."
No one spoke.
He turned to Samuel. "You're fast, gifted, and fearless. But pride slows you down faster than any defender."
Then to Kevin. "And you—remember leadership isn't about who shouts louder. It's about who lifts others."
Silence. Then a slow clap — from the youngest player, Eli, barely 17.
"Coach is right," Eli said softly. "We fight for each other, not fame."
David nodded. "Exactly. If this club rises, it's because we rise together."
That night, David sat alone in his small apartment. He opened his laptop — the scouting system glowed in the dark. The algorithm was running, analyzing hundreds of young players across Kenya's dusty pitches.
And then… a name flashed.
"Talent Score: 96/100 — Otieno M."
He clicked the profile.
A boy. 19. From Kisumu.
Fast. Aggressive. Vision like an elite playmaker.
David leaned back.
"What if…" he whispered.
"What if he's the missing piece?"
He smiled for the first time that week. The next chapter of the rebuild wasn't just about saving a club — it was about changing.