THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

Having eaten a sumptuous home-cooked dinner prepared by Inger, Zachary headed to his bedroom. He was soon in autopilot mode, packing his luggage for the following day's trip to Côte d'Ivoire, calling Emily Anderson, his agent, going through a relaxing therapeutic yoga routine, and washing up.

He finished everything he had planned to do by 8:30 PM and then made his way back to the living room. After picking a glass of water from the fridge, he settled into a sofa facing the TV screen to follow the game between Cesena and AS Roma, the second-placed team after Juventus on top of the Italian Serie A table.

That match that could determine whether Juventus would win the Serie A title much earlier than expected kicked off at 8:45 PM. AS Roma, which happened to be the team that wished to stop Juventus from widening the gap at the top of the table, was the first to settle down in the game.

Even at an away ground, the AS Roma players were daring enough to quickly array themselves in an attacking 4-3-3 formation before beginning their relentless assaults on Cesena, the home team. They combined long ball and wing play strategies to sustain pressure on the opponents during the opening stages. And finally, during the 41st minute, their efforts paid off, and they found a breakthrough. Daniele De Rossi, their captain and holding midfielder, gave them the lead after finding the back of the net with a left-footed shot from outside the box.

The score was then 1:0 in favor of AS Roma, the visiting team, and the game continued after a short spell of celebrations. The AS Roma players didn't continue risking to commit many bodies forward. Instead, they played it safe and settled into a 4-5-1 defensive formation to weather the attacks thrown at them by the visitors for the remainder of the game.

Their tenacity on the defensive end was commendable, and they worked like untiring maniacs to thwart all attempts at their goal. They eventually maintained their lead and won the game with a score of 1:0 after three minutes of injury time.

With that victory, the AS Roma players pushed their overall tally to 53 points after playing their 28th Serie A game of the season. Of course, a massive 27-point gap still existed between them and the flying Juventus team. But at least they had done all they could to stop the team from Turin from winning the title after the next Italian Serie A match day.

"Seems like AS Roma isn't willing to hand you the Serie A title on a silver platter," Coach Bjørn Peters, who had watched the match with Zachary, commented after the final whistle sounded. "You and your teammates will most likely have to toil for four more points before winning this year's trophy."

"I think that's much better for us as one of the biggest teams in Europe," Zachary said. "Instead of relying on others to hand us the domestic trophy, it's much more preferable that we toil for it and win it solely because of our efforts and skills. Achieving victory in such a manner will be much more satisfying than winning due to the inadequacy of our opponents."

"True," Coach Bjørn Peters agreed. Inclining his head to glance at Zachary, he asked, "You're setting off for Côte d'Ivoire tomorrow evening. Is that right?"

"Yes," Zachary answered.

"Are you traveling alone, or will you move with Lorenzo?"

"Lorenzo is my bodyguard. I have to travel with him to ensure my security. Aside from him, there will also be Kristin. She will help me handle some miscellaneous issues when we're in Côte d'Ivoire."

"That's a big entourage," Coach Bjørn Peters remarked. "But I like it. With Kristin and Lorenzo on your side, I won't have to worry about your security and health."

Zachary chuckled at that. He was already dozing at that point. So, he quickly ended the conversation after a minute or so and returned to his bedroom for the night.

Not having a girlfriend also had its perks. Zachary no longer had to talk on the phone for hours every night. He switched it off without any fear or favor and jumped into bed with the swiftness of an assassin. A minute later, he slowly started sinking into a relaxing slumber while anticipating his first trip to Ivory Coast.

The following evening.

The sun was setting, and the clock hands around Turin had just pointed to the 6:00 o'clock mark when Zachary set off for the airport together with his entourage of two. Lorenzo, the bodyguard dressed in black jeans with a matching black t-shirt, was in the driving seat, guiding the Audi RS 7 forward on the road heading to the airport. On the other hand, Kristin, Zachary's personal assistant, sat beside him in the back, updating him about what to look out for when they arrived in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

"I talked to a friend of my dad working for the Norwegian Embassy in Abidjan," Kristin said. "Her advice for us was to remain extremely vigilant, particularly in the neighborhoods of Abobo, Adjamé, Treichville, Yopougon, and Attacoubé due to a high level of crime in those areas. She also warned me against moving about in the evening or during night hours since criminal activity escalates to unbearable levels after dusk. She also talked about the risk posed by demonstrations that could quickly turn violent at any time. Aside from that, she emphasized the need to watch out for the ever-present terrorist threats while in Abidjan..."

Kristin's speech was full of warnings. Her depiction made Côte d'Ivoire seem like 'some hell on earth' where robbers, thieves, terrorists, and prostitutes suffering from sexually transmitted diseases could jump on you any moment. It seemed she had done ample research, but that research only focused on the negatives to ensure their group remained safe during their short stay in Abidjan.

Zachary listened to her attentively but still chose to internalize her warnings with a pinch of salt. As a person who had already lived in both Europe and the DRC, he had long understood that the perceptions of most Europeans toward African countries could be prejudiced at times. Of course, Zachary knew that criminal activities existed in Côte d'Ivoire, but they shouldn't be as exaggerated as those portrayed by European media. As such, security wasn't one of his main worries as he traveled to Abidjan.

"Did you manage to book us a hotel?" Zachary asked when Kristin finished her address.

"There was no need for me to book one as Mr. Omar Sangare had already reserved a hotel for us," Kristin said. "Let me see... The one he reserved is called Hôtel Ivoire, and from what I have seen on the internet, it's probably the best in the country."

"Oh! Then, that's good," Zachary said with a smile. "Mr. Sangare is already doing a good job as our guide even before we arrive."

"Yes, he's really meticulous," Kristin agreed. "He has already sent over a schedule listing all the to-do activities while we are in Ivory Coast. On the list, there are training sessions with Côte d'Ivoire's National Football team, press conferences, two dinners, and meetings with Ivorian football executives. If you are to go by his plan, you won't have any time to rest when we arrive in Ivory Coast."

"Of course, I won't be attending all those activities," Zachary said with a shake of his head. "I'm in Ivory Coast mainly to play football. So, aside from the training sessions and mandatory press conferences, send a message to Mr. Sangare and reject all the other activities on the schedule. Do it now, before we arrive at the airport."

"Okay." Kristin nodded. "I'll send Mr. Sangare a message right away."

As they conversed, Lorenzo navigated the traffic, and forty minutes later, they finally arrived at the airport. After finding safe parking for their vehicle, they entered the airport with their suitcases. Without drawing much attention to themselves, they quickly went through airport procedures before heading to the departure gate.

After a short wait of about fifteen minutes, they boarded the plane and settled into their first-class seats. Before long, they heard the pre-flight safety announcements, and just after a few more minutes, the plane took off from the runway and soared into the skies. It would make one stop-over in Casablanca before continuing its long flight to Abidjan.

The following day, at around 1:00 PM, the plane touched down on the runway of the Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport in Abidjan. After a few seconds of smooth braking by the pilots, it came to a halt close to the end of the runway.

Zachary and his entourage followed the other passengers to exit the plane. He had already donned a wide-brimmed sun hat and a pair of oversized retro-shades to conceal his face. No one recognized that he was a famous footballer, and he looked like any other Côte d'Ivoire citizen returning from abroad with two European friends as he descended the airstair. Together with Kristin and Lorenzo, they dodged most of the commotion and quickly headed toward the airport's arrivals section.

"Zachary! You're finally here. Welcome to Abidjan."

A tall African man with pronounced cheekbones, a bald head, and an oversized goatee greeted them at the arrivals gate. Before Zachary could ask who the person was, the man pulled them to one side of the hallway and continued, "I'm Omar Sangare. We have been communicating on the phone."

"Oh, Omar Sangare!" Zachary exclaimed, a light bulb going on in his mind. "It's nice to meet you in the flesh, Mr. Sangare. Thanks for making time to welcome us."

"It's my duty," Mr. Sangare said and then shook hands with Kristin and Lorenzo. Then after asking how their trip had been, he went straight to the point, "Let's not waste much time here. I'll help you to go through the airport procedures quickly before transporting you to your hotel."

Mr. Sangare was very prudent and didn't take up much of their time with pointless small talk. He aided them through all the airport and immigration procedures in a record time of about a dozen minutes before leading them to the luggage claim hall. With his help, Zachary and company didn't face any challenges, and in just a few minutes, they walked out with their suitcases in tow. They then headed towards the airport exit while conversing among themselves.

"Many football officials, journalists, and fans have been anticipating the arrival of the footballers on the National Football team," Mr. Omar Sangare said. "We intend to organize a small gathering today so they can interact with the players who have just returned. Most of your new teammates, including Yaya Touré, Gervinho, Max Gradel, Wilfried Bony, Eric Bailly, and Ousmane Viera, will all be present. Are you sure you don't wish to join the fun?"

"I think I should rest for today," Zachary said resolutely. "I have been traveling since yesterday. I must give my body ample time to recover before I attend training tomorrow. So, I'm sorry, but I can't join the gathering."

"That's okay," Mr. Sangare said with a regretful sigh. "Making ample preparations for our games against Angola and Equatorial Guinea take priority over everything else. So, forget that I asked."

Zachary nodded and decided to change the topic. "In the schedule sent to us, you mentioned that the National Football team training begins at 9:00 AM tomorrow. If I remember correctly, the venue for the training should be an Abidjan-M'pouto training complex. Is that right?"

"Yes, that's the venue," Mr. Sangare replied. "It's a training complex that belongs to ASEC Mimosas, one of the biggest football clubs in Ivory Coast. You don't have to worry about not finding directions to the facility. I will personally guide you there tomorrow morning."

"Then, thanks in advance," Zachary replied.

While talking, they continued traversing the airport hallways leading to the exit. Mr. Sangare guided them through VIP sections rarely used by other passengers, and they were out of the airport facility in no time. Without drawing much attention to themselves, they boarded the already waiting convoy of cars and headed to the grand Hôtel Ivoire, where Zachary and co spent the night.