The rain poured steadily over the training ground, turning the pitch into a slick canvas of mud and challenge. Yet Mohammed Salisu stood tall near the halfway line, eyes scanning the movement around him like a chess master reading the board.

“Again!” the assistant coach shouted. “Shift left and press!”

Salisu jogged forward, cutting off a pass before it even left the midfielder’s foot.

From the sideline, a younger player turned to his teammate. “How does he always know where the ball’s going?”

“He doesn’t guess,” the other replied. “He reads minds.”

Later in the locker room, still dripping from the downpour, Salisu quietly peeled off his gloves. A reporter cautiously approached.

“Mohammed, one question—how do you stay so calm under pressure?”

Salisu chuckled softly. “Pressure is when you don’t know what you’re doing. Me? I’ve already seen the play in my head.”

With that, he nodded politely and walked out—silent, steady, and solid as ever.