Super Falcons goalie, Chiamaka Nnadozie, had a tense relationship with her father. Her father wanted her to learn a trade but she refused. As a result, he chased her out of the house as a teenager and told her that she would never amount to anything in life. She gave herself time, that if at 20 she had recorded no breakthrough, she would return home and beg her father for forgiveness. Before her 15th birthday, she got a call-up for Under-17. When the father saw her on television, he reached out and proudly called her his daughter. The 21-year-old Chiamaka currently plays for Paris FC.

Three things come to light from the story of Chiamaka Nnadozie. Firstly, parents should keenly watch the passion of their children and support them. As long as such passions are not criminal, allow them to express them. Secondly, when the odds are stacked against you, don’t fold your hands. I often say that the simplest way to turn your traducers into prophets is to wallow in self-pity, and do nothing. When Chiamaka’s father said she would not amount to anything, she rolled up her sleeves and got to work. Her diligence became a deterrence to the negative prophecy over her life. Finally, we learn that the power of God can overrule. The father said she would not amount to anything, but she has now become an inspiration and breadwinner for her family. Talk of the stone rejected by the builders becoming the cornerstone of the house! Indeed, God alone has the final say over every life.