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Is the football fever

upon you or it’s never?

So far, a total of 161

goals have been netted. 1

goal can make or break.

For losers, it looks bleak.

Lionel Messi leads with 5,  

His world cup count isn’t 5

but 18! Kylian Mbappé, Erling,

Vinícius Júnior –still counting—

have scored 4 goals apiece.  

What a football centerpiece.

2026. That’s the Fifa World Cup.

54 matches, take your pick & sup.  

I think fans are having plenty of fun.

No power fouls or fines but the sun!

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Hailing from Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, Ndaba Sibanda is a poet, novelist, and nonfiction writer who has a passion for themes and topics around conservation, nature, development and justice. A three-time Pushcart, National Arts Merit Awards, Mary Ballard Poetry Chapbook Prize and the Best of the Net Prose nominee, Sibanda`s book Notes, Themes, Things And Other Things: Confronting Controversies, Contradictions And Indoctrinations was considered for The 2019 Restless Book Prize for New Immigrant Writing in Nonfiction. Ndaba`s novel Cabinet Meetings: Of Big And Small Preys was considered for The Graywolf Press Africa Prize 2018. His five titles are on the Barnes and Noble list of 2024 Best books.