OFFSIDE - Outside Boundaries

Surprise from Ali

🌜Hurday

“Not sleeping son Ali.." said Fachri, when the sound of crickets rang out loud unpretentious, when the others had fallen asleep, when the atmosphere of the boarding school was dark and quiet.

“Eh sir Fachri.. not yet! Again can not sleep..” while allowing Fachri to sit next to him.

At that moment Ali looked at Fachri full of mystery.

Fachri fell silent thinking that there seemed to be something Ali wanted to say.

“It seems...? mr. Fachri's face is no stranger to my eyes." explained Ali while wrinkling his eel.

“From we met at the port.. I also have guessed.. like Pak Fachri is not foreign in my eyes...mangkanya sir Fachri I brought here..!“ Ali repeated the same sentence.

The more he did not understand Fachri, Ali made him think more and more.

🤩“Rupanya pak Fachri is my idol footballer in Persija First..” guess Ali while holding the hand of Fachri.... Ali seems to have known the figure of his football idol.

“Finally this pesantren will have a very great ball coach.” Ali replied with a smile.

“You mean...?” said Fachri while wrinkling the jidat.

“Maybe kyai Hasan is right.. pak Fachri is indeed suitable to be a football coach..” Said Ali.

“Ah... you can aje.. I am a former player... not a coach...” objected Fachri.

“Oh...ya.. tomorrow morning I will take Mr. Fachri to our Headquarters...” Firm Ali.

“We...?” Fachri was confused as to what we meant.

“Pokoke now we sleep, may tomorrow be a beautiful day, aamiin.” added Ali.

🌄The next day. In a football field

“How...? Good no..?” Ali showed off the football pitch to Fachri.

😭Fachri was silent, not feeling one by one his tears dripping down his cheeks.

“What is a pack... are any of my words wrong..?” asked Ali who was confused to see Fachri crying.

“Nothing is wrong.” Fachri answered while wiping away the tears.

Almost three years never again smelled the smell of a football field. Fachri tries to remember the past.

“Trus, anyone who exercises here..?” Ask Ali

“Santri and residents around pesantren..” Ali obviously took the ball out of his bag.

“At least in a moment also on coming..” obviously Ali is back when Fachri nods.

Shortly thereafter

“Assalamu’alaikum.” Three men came in from the left side of the ball field.

“Wa’alaikum salam.” Answer them in unison.

“This is Mr. Fachri, our new coach..” Ali introduced fachri as a coach to the three young men who had just arrived.

😁Fachri contact face to eye Ali, replied to a grin by Ali.

Soon a little boy, about 10 years old, came to us in a football uniform complete with blue football boots.

“This is our new flagship striker..” Ali shouted in a quite startling voice.

“Known this Sameer his son Kyai Hasan..” With his distinctive voice Ali introduces Fachri to Sameer.

“Alhamdulillah bang Sameer! We have a new coach.. Mr. Fachri his name is..” Added Ali.

“Toyyib (arabnye good language), we just start training today.” Ali said with great enthusiasm.

⚽Fachri immediately led the practice starting to warm up to the technique of passing and stopping the ball, some material when the beginning of entering football club Fachri taught them.

Although still using a stick.

🌻Day by day keeps passing.

Five days already Fachri was in the boarding school, it looks like santri-santri who often practice the ball began to like the style of Fachri in coaching.

”True what Kyai Hasan said..... my life in football,” Fachri said inwardly.

KUKURUYUK🐓

“Pak Fachri, wait.!” Ali called from behind as Fachri walked towards the mosque.

“U..hu..uu..hu... pak Fachri...u.hu..uu..hu.hu.” While adjusting his breath Ali looked at Mr. Fachri expectantly.

“Quiet... calm down first.. breathe... hold... remove..” Fachri try to calm Ali.

“Nah... how? What's up, huh? Why are you in such a hurry..?” Ask Ali.

“There is good news..” Reply Ali.

“We get a challenge from the champion village across the river.” Added Ali

“They are the defending champions at the district level.. yes... it is good enough for a team that is just pioneering like us..” Obviously Ali.

“When they want to compete with us.” asked Fachri to Ali.

“Nah... that's why I ran... they want to match him today at eight in the morning.” Obviously Ali.

“Okey...Over dawn prayer we collect in the field...contact others...” Fachri's orders to Ali.

“Each Coach Sir..” Canda Ali's.

That morning Ali's team had gathered in the field, but there was one less, Sameer had not come so our number was only 10 people.

“Ali... Where is Sameer...? Have you been told..?” Ask Ali

“Already pack coach..” Reply Ali.

“But it looks like Hajjah ma'am doesn't allow Sameer to play.” Obviously Ali

For a moment they were silent.

“Okey... We keep match must be 10 people, so now ready to be ready for the warm-up..” exclaimed Fachri to Ali and friends.

”Eit... wait a minute.. This is no rice wrap from ummi..” Ali offered rice wrap.

“Alhamdulillah.”

😆so compact they... maybe so hungry.

“Assalamu’alaikum.” A group of young men greeted.

“Wa’alaikum salam.” Ali and his friends said hello.

It turns out that the MATARAM FC team has come with a complete team.

”You are also a good field Ustadz.” one of the old men greeted Fachri and called him ustadz.

“Sorry, I am not ustadz, but similar ustadz.” Answer Fachri.

Ha.ha.ha.ha.they laugh out loud.

“Ali quickly find a replacement for Sameer, if you can two people one make a backup.” Fachri ordered Ali in a whispering tone.

Ten minutes later, Ali brought two of the santri. One is a santri who often adhan in Joko pesantren name, they had met on the first day in this pesantren.

“Pak Coach.” Sahut Ali on Mr. Fachri when he came to bring the requested player.

“This is the player that the coach sir asked for.” Added Ali.

“Ente Joko right?” Ask Mr. Fachri.

”Kalo ente?” He went back to the second santri.

“My name is Sugiyanto village boy here.” Sugiyanto replied while pointing at his house which was very close to the field.

“I often see training here... I also like to play ball but no one ngajak play... so I am reluctant to join the training here..” Sugi explained himself to Mr. Fachri.

“We don't have much time..” Firmly Fachri as he hurriedly walked towards the field.

“OK... because we lack attackers Fachri ordered his troops so swiftly.

“We use the Four Five One formation... Four defending Five Midfielders and One Attacker.” Fachri explained the formation in a very serious tone.

“There is no choice....... Ali antum...... Ahmad antum single attacker, use antum speed to outwit the opponent's guard, so that the other midfielder can shoot kicks from outside the penalty box, and antum task waiting for the ball vomit.” Fachri is clear to all the players.

“Dan Sugi, please be patient antum backup, we need to talk first to determine the position of antum as what.” Fachri added

"Let's get all excited.." cried Fachri.

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