Chapter 220: Home Sweet Home
The Galgenwaard stadium was buzzing with an energy that Amani had rarely experienced in his time at Utrecht. Word of his spectacular goal against AZ Alkmaar had spread like wildfire through the city, and the home crowd had turned out in force to see if their young star could produce more magic against RKC Waalwijk.
As Amani walked out for the warm-up, the reception was unlike anything he’d experienced before. A section of the crowd began chanting his name before he’d even touched the ball, and he could see homemade banners with "AMANI 37" and "KENYAN PRINCE" scattered throughout the stands.
"Listen to that," Mark van der Maarel said, jogging alongside him. "They’re here to see you, kid."
The captain’s words carried no jealousy, only pride. In the week since the AZ match, the entire team had embraced Amani’s growing status. His goal hadn’t just won them three points; it had announced Utrecht as a team to be taken seriously.
Coach Wouters had made minimal changes to the starting lineup that had triumphed in Alkmaar. The same eleven that had shown such character and unity would get the chance to build on that performance at home.
"Different atmosphere today," Yassin Ayoub observed as they went through their passing drills. "The crowd’s expecting something special."
"Then we give them something special," Jacob Mulenga replied, his usual pre-match intensity already evident. "But we do it as a team."
The striker’s words resonated with Amani. The attention was flattering, but football remained a collective sport. His individual brilliance meant nothing without the platform his teammates provided.
RKC Waalwijk arrived at the Galgenwaard with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Sitting in the bottom half of the table, they knew that a result against Utrecht could kickstart their season. Their manager, Erwin van de Looi, had clearly studied the AZ match and would have prepared his team for Utrecht’s attacking threats.
As the teams lined up in the tunnel, Amani could feel the familiar pre-match butterflies. But there was something different this time - a confidence that hadn’t been there before. The AZ goal had proven to himself and everyone else that he belonged at this level.
The System provided its pre-match assessment: