Chapter 70: The King of Africa
The games came thick and fast, filling the schedule so tight that it felt like the only thing that could stop it was Christmas.
But for Sam, something else stepped it first, the CAF Awards Ceremony. CAF is the Confederation of African Football, the governing body for football in Africa.
Marrakech shimmered under golden lights.
The Palais des Congrès, transformed for the evening, throbbed with the rhythm of drums and the flash of cameras.
Africa’s football royalty gathered here, from legends in sharp suits, to icons of the women’s game in flowing gowns, dignitaries, coaches, and players whose names carried decades of history.
This was the CAF Awards Ceremony, the continent’s night of honor.
On the red carpet, stars dazzled. Didier Drogba posed with wide grins, Samuel Eto’o shook hands with fans, while Yaya Touré spoke calmly to reporters about the new generation.
Osimhen arrived in a crisp black tuxedo suit, Salah in pristine white, while Riyad Mahrez arrived in royal blue.
And then, a cheer louder than the rest ripped through the crowd as Samuel Moses and Kayla stepped out of their car. Cameras erupted in flashes, and familiar chants erupted.
"SM10! SM10!" The familiar chant rose even here in Morocco.
He was the Ballon d’Or winner, the face of Adidas, the player who carried both Barcelona and Nigeria on his shoulders.
To Sam, the CAF Awards Ceremony was an opportunity to finally take a breath of fresh air from the grueling football schedule that swamped him.
It was also an opportunity to feel appreciated, and to enjoy the fruit of the legacy that he was worked so hard to build.
Kayla glowed in a green dress that mirrored Nigeria’s colors. Sam? He was dressed in a sleek tailored black suit with emerald cufflinks. In front of the cameras, he smiled modestly, but inside, his heart raced.
As soon as all the stars were inside and it was time, the ceremony began.
The host took the stage, the atmosphere crackling with excitement. "Tonight, Africa celebrates its own. From Cairo to Lagos, Casablanca to Johannesburg, we are one continent, one heartbeat."
"Tonight, we will be celebrating the best football talents from our continent".
The drums beat to his words as the awards finally began.
The Youth Player of the Year award went to Lamine Camara of Senegal, a midfielder for AS Monaco, having beaten competition from other notable candidates like Carlos Baleba of Cameroon, and Oumar Diakite of Ivory Coast.
Sam clapped warmly as the young prodigy walked shyly onto the stage.
As for the Women’s Player of the Year award, Asisat Oshoala claimed it again, her legacy unshakable in the history of African women’s football. She dedicated it to young African girls dreaming of football as the hall roared to her speech.
Al Ahly, the infamous Egyptian club won the Club of the Year award after another CAF Champions League triumph.
One by one, trophies found their way to the right hands. But the hall held its breath and waited for the climax, the crown jewel... the Men’s Player of the Year Award.
The presenter walked out and it was Didier Drogba himself. The Ivorian giant, a legend of African football began, his voice booming with charisma.
He smiled knowingly at the audience. "I have been here before. I know what it means. Tonight, Africa crowns her King."
On the screen behind him, the shortlist flashed.
*Mohamed Salah (Liverpool & Egypt)
*Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray & Nigeria)
*Riyad Mahrez (Al Ahli & Algeria)
*Achraf Hakimi (PSG & Morocco)
*Samuel Moses (FC Barcelona & Nigeria)
Gasps, applause, and murmurs rippled through the audience. They all agreed to the selections, these were the continent’s elite.
Drogba’s grin widened. "And the winner of the 2026 CAF Men’s Player of the Year is..."
A beat of silence veiled the hall as the envelope tore, then...
"...Samuel Moses!"
The hall immediately erupted in a standing ovation.
Cheering, whistling, and thunderous applause filled the hall. Osimhen stood first, clapping hard, as he smiled like a proud brother. Salah nodded respectfully, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Mahrez applauded too.
Legends like Eto’o and Yaya Touré rose, giving a standing ovation.
"Our son," someone whispered in the crowd.
Sam stood, stunned for a heartbeat. Not because he won, but just because the volume of the ovation slightly rattled him. Kayla squeezed his hand, whispering, "Go on, my King".
That was all it took to stabilize him; he smiled.
He walked to the stage, the roar following him like a wave. Drogba embraced him tightly, laughing. "You’re making us all proud man, what a year you’re having".
The trophy glistened, golden and green, Africa’s crown. Sam lifted it high and the cameras flashed like lightning.
He adjusted the microphone, the hall quieting to listen to their King.
His voice was steady, but his eyes glistened. "Well, I’ll just give the same story that you guys are probably bored of hearing already".
The crowd laughed.
Sam continued. "When I was a boy in Abraka, we had one ball. Sometimes no ball at all, just empty sachets of water rolled up in a bundle. I never imagined this moment. I never imagined myself standing here, holding this."
He paused, scanning the hall.
"First, I want to thank my family, they’ve always been there for me".
"My best friend, Ian, he’s been my backbone since day 1," he grinned. "Thank you man".
"I want to thank Enyimba FC, who gave me my first chance. I want to thank my coaches, Coach James, and Coach Yemi Daniels, who believed when no one else did. I want to thank Fulham, and I also want to thank Barcelona, my teammates, and my brothers in Nigeria".
He paused again, then smiled brightly. "And I also want to thank my wife, Kayla, my biggest supporter, my rock."
Applause rose as Kayla smiled through tears.
Sam’s voice deepened.
"This trophy is not just for me, it is for every child in Africa playing barefoot on dust. For every dreamer who believes they are too small, too poor, too forgotten. Look at me, hehe," he laughed. "If a street bum like me can be here, you can too. Africa, our time is now!"
The hall roared in agreement.
Some chanted his name, others simply wept with pride.
Backstage, after his speech and the end of the award ceremony, reporters swarmed him.
"Sam, you’ve won the Ballon d’Or, and now the CAF Player of the Year too, how does it feel?"
Sam laughed softly. "It feels like responsibility. A crown is not just honor, its weight, but I’ll carry it."
Osimhen embraced him again. "Two kings from Nigeria, history". He grinned.
Salah shook his hand firmly. "You’ve earned it, champ. Keep shining."
Mahrez smiled faintly. "Africa needs this."
That night, Africa had crowned him officially... not just as the Ballon d’Or winner, but also as CAF Player of the Year.
From Abraka dust to the palace of Marrakech, Samuel Moses had become the continent’s symbol.