45 minutes, 1-1…
During half-time, Eric Chelle had only a few words for his players.
"Come on boys, you know, and I know what we're capable of".
"Cameroon are not our true opponents".
"They're just a stepping stone towards glory".
"In the 2nd half, pull no punches, go for the knockout blow!"
"Let's show them who's boss!"
It was only a few words but the Nigerian players had so much respect already for their coach that they came out for the 2nd half with their blood boiling.
Especially in one of the players, an old habit came back.
They do say old habits die hard.
'Win!' 'Win!' 'Win!'
The voice was already rearing its head in Sam's mind.
And in kind, Sam responded, embracing his mamba mentality and singlehandedly turning the game around in the 2nd half.
Tonight would be remembered as the night when Sam went berserk.