THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

The following day was a Saturday. And being a weekend without Italian Serie A matches, it was a relaxing one for Zachary, who had just moved into his new mansion.

He awoke to the rays of the already-risen sun streaming through the shy gap of the window curtain and shining into his eyes. Squinting slightly, he pivoted his gaze on the elegant clock hanging on the opposite wall as he shook off the remaining dregs of sleep.

The next moment, his heart shook with amazement as he learned it was already 10:00 AM. It seemed the comfort afforded by the new mansion was already impacting his work ethic. Without realizing it, he'd slept for so long and even delayed his morning exercise routine.

"Bzzt Bzzzt! Bzzt Bzzzt!"

Zachary's phone started vibrating from the bedside table, breaking him away from his thoughts. Picking it up, he realized the incoming call was from Emily, his agent. He immediately pressed the accept button and positioned the phone against his ear.

"Hello, Emily..." Zachary spoke into the phone a bit hesitantly. He felt guilty, especially after putting off the meeting with Emily for quite some time.

"Hello, Zachary!" Contrary to Zachary's expectations, Emily's voice was as vibrant and sweet as ever over the phone. With a light chuckle, she continued, "How is the morning of my most important client? Everything going on well?"

"My morning is fine, and everything is okay on my side," Zachary responded, a relaxing feeling sweeping over him. "How about you, the best football agent in the world? How are you doing?"

Emily chuckled again. "My morning is fine as well. Did you finally move into your mansion?"

"Yes," Zachary responded. "I moved in yesterday."

"So, I guess congratulations are in order."

"I guess so. Thanks."

"How's the new place?"

"It's great," Zachary said. "However, it's also a bit too quiet as I'm still alone in the house."

Emily laughed. "Just get a wife," she said jokingly, "The place will no longer feel lonely."

Zachary replied with a chuckle but chose not to comment.

"Anyways," Emily continued, "We need to meet ASAP. I need to talk to you."

"Okay. Can we meet at my house? Is that okay with you?"

"Yes, that's okay," she replied.

"Excellent! I will tell Angelo to pick you up. Where are you at the moment?"

"B&B Hotel Torino. I'll be ready to head out at around eleven."

"Great," Zachary said. "Then, I'll tell Angelo to pick you up at 11:00 AM. See you in about an hour."

"Just a moment before you hang up!" Emily hurriedly said. "I'll be coming with Kristin. She's your publicity secretary, and we need to start involving her in some of our work-related conversations. Don't you think so?"

"Good idea," Zachary said. "I have no problem with her coming here. And that reminds me: Coach Bjørn Peters, my fitness trainer, and his wife, will also be coming here around midday. Maybe, we can all have lunch together and celebrate my moving into the new house."

"Coach Bjørn Peters!" Emily mumbled. "The coach from Norway, whose wife you hired as a chef?"

"Yes," Zachary intoned, "They'll be staying with me, just for convenience. With them around, I also won't have to stay alone in such a big house."

Zachary had already requested his fitness coach and newly-hired chef to move in and stay with him in the new mansion. And fortunately, Coach Bjørn Peters and his wife agreed to the invite after insisting on taking a pay cut as the coverage for rent. They had thus officially become the other occupants of Zachary's brand-new mansion and would stay with him until further notice.

"I think that's a great idea," Emily said after a few seconds. "Having your fitness trainer and chef staying with you will make life easier. They will be in an excellent position to manage your diet, sleep, and training regimens better."

"That's the whole idea," Zachary agreed. "Having them here is a blessing for me. Moreover, they will only be occupying a small section of the house. They won't inconvenience me in any way."

"Great!" Emily said. " I have to dress up and prepare for our meeting. Let's talk more when I arrive. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

-----

After hanging up, Zachary jumped out of bed. He quickly went through his fifteen-minute morning yoga routine before washing up and donning a fresh and brand-new Nike tracksuit.

Zachary then enjoyed a quick breakfast, which included nutritious foods like milk, cereal, fruits, and bacon. After completing the meal and placing the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, he settled on one of the comfy sofas in the living room to await Emily's arrival.

Leaning back into his seat, he took a moment to admire the lavish sitting room of his new home. The next moment, he felt completely relaxed as his eyes took in the sight of the morning sunrays dancing off the paintings, the vases, and the elegant furniture. And once again, his entire being swelled with satisfaction at the realization that he was already one of the few proud owners of mansions priced more than a million Euros in Italy.

"I can't be satisfied with only this," Zachary reminded himself. "I have got to keep on working hard. I must make more money and buy more assets around the world."

Smiling slightly, he decided to watch TV while awaiting Emily and Kristin's arrival. He picked up the remote and immediately switched on the TV. And just then, the speakers came alive with the sound of ESPN's eleven o'clock sports show.

"In other news," the beautiful sports presenter said, "There will be no matches for the English Premier League, the Italian Serie A, the Spanish La Liga, and other top leagues in Europe, as players take on international duties this weekend. In the Euro Championships, scheduled to be played later today, Poland will play Germany, Finland will face Greece..."

Zachary wasn't so focused as the presenter read out the fixtures for international matches. His manner was calm and relaxed as all the mentioned football games had nothing to do with him - a player yet to decide which country to represent. But just as he was about to switch the channel, a specific detail in the fixtures caught his attention.

"In the African Cup of Nation qualifiers," the TV presenter intoned, "The Democratic Republic of Congo will be facing off against Ivory Coast in Kinshasa at 4:30 PM Central African Time..."

Zachary's heart immediately skipped a beat. "DR Congo is playing against Ivory Coast," he thought. "That's my dad's country against my biological mother's country. I can technically represent either of the two."

While bathing in the warm autumn sunshine streaming through the wide door and the large windows, Zachary sat there and continued watching the sports show. But his thoughts were in turmoil as he entertained the idea of quickly selecting a country to represent.

As a footballer with the support of the system, Zachary desired to win every major title out there. He wanted to win the Champions League, the Italian Serie A, the English Premier League, and above all, the World Cup.

He obviously understood that he could win most of the club football titles by joining great sides. For instance, he could try to win the Serie A and Champions League with Juventus. And if he needed a change and wished for another league title, he could sign with another club from another top European League.

However, in the case of the World Cup, Zachary had limited options. He didn't just hope to represent any team in any part of the world but a country from Africa. His wish was to once upon a time make history by helping an African side win the World Cup. At one point during his career, he yearned to stand on the World Cup podium and hold the trophy with African teammates. That was his innermost desire — a yearning that caused him to be reluctant to commit to DR Congo, his homeland with limited prospects.

As a person with knowledge of the future, Zachary knew well that the prospects of Congolese football were grim. The management of the country's football team would remain sub-par, and the quality of the squad would decline over the next few years. And due to those considerations, Zachary couldn't picture himself winning any title while representing his country of birth.

However, Ivory Coast, the birth country of his biological mother, was a different story. In the present and the future, the Ivorians had talented footballers like Nicolas Pépé, Wilfried Zaha, Ibrahim Sangaré, Eric Bailly, Salomon Kalou, Serge Aurier, and the highly experienced Yaya Touré in their squad. And with such deadly and highly tactical options in their line-up, Zachary could picture himself accomplishing something with them if he represented Ivory Coast.

He was confident that with the addition of his skills aided by the system, the Ivorian squad would gain the necessary firepower to qualify for the World Cup a few times and move far within the world-famous FIFA tournament. The possibility was definitely there as the Ivorian side had more prospects as a team compared to DR Congo, his homeland.

"But how do I get in touch with the Ivorian Football Federation? Do I write them an email, or do I call them?"

Zachary shook his head and cast out the notions from his head. Then, after leaning back into the sofa, he quickly thought of his former teammate Eric Bailly, whose fate had taken on a different trajectory, especially after signing for Rosenborg.

"That guy is also going places," Zachary thought. "His fate has surely changed for the better."

Everything started at Rosenborg.

Influenced by Zachary, a training maniac, Eric Bailly had begun working hard during his first months in Trondheim. His commitment to football had paid off quickly, and he had attracted the attention of Tottenham after winning the Europa League the previous season. But that wasn't the end of his success story. After signing with Tottenham, the Ivorian quickly won a starting position and continued performing impressively. He was even already listed among the most promising young defenders in the premier league.

"He should be able to help."

Zachary decided to call Eric Bailly after the conclusion of the AFCON qualifiers the following day. He hoped his former teammate would link him to the Ivorian Football Federation. And if they accepted him as a player, Zachary would be able to kick-start the international side of his career. He would no longer have to stay home during international breaks since he would have a country to represent.

"Ding! Dong! Ding..."

The doorbell rang, breaking Zachary out of his musings after a short while. It seemed that Emily and Kristin had finally arrived. So, without wasting time, Zachary quickly walked to the door to let in his beautiful agent and publicity secretary. He was eager to have a heart-to-heart, especially with his agent, concerning the new endorsement deals that had just been offered to him by various international brands.