Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Mrs Oredola Samuel, mother of Super Eagles and Fenerbahce defender, Bright Osayi-Samuel, has revealed how she almost ruined her son’s destiny without knowing it.
She made the shocking revelation in Benin, shortly before the 3rd place match of the 2nd edition of Bright Osayi U-13 Football Tournament.
She recalled how she poured water on her son on several occasions for staying late at football practice into the early hours of the morning.
According to her “When he was small, between the age of 10 and 13, he used to play football, although he did no go to a football academy.
“Mind you, I was not against his playing football, but his coming home late is what I did not like. That was my problem with him. So, I told him to stop coming home late, but, the more I threatened him, the more he did it.
“Several times I took a bucket of water and poured it on him and will throw away his football. But, he will still repeat it.
“One thing he has is energy to play football. So, on that very day, as usual, I took the football away from him and I threw it away. His response was, ‘Mummy, you just throw away my future’.
“That night, I went to my bed, but I could not sleep, because this boy has never spoken to me that way, that I threw away his future.
“Around 3 am, I went outside and take the ball to him inside the house and I said to him, ‘look, I’ve brought your future for you’”.
Mrs. Samuel said she was happy with the achievements of the Nigerian international and that she took the right step on that night by giving his future back to him.
“I am very happy with his achievements in football, he is making me proud. Where people think I am nobody, because of him, they now see me as somebody, all because I did not throw away his destiny that day.
“Imagine I left that ball, maybe probably I would not have been here today. I am now enjoying that future with him,” she said.