The alarm buzzed at 7:30 AM, but Amani was already awake, staring at the ceiling of his dormitory room at St. Bonifatius College. The January morning light filtered through his curtains, casting long shadows across the small space he'd called home for over a year now. Today felt different – not because of any particular anxiety, but because of the unusual nature of what lay ahead.
He rolled out of bed and padded to the window, looking out at Utrecht's quiet streets. Somewhere across the city, his teammates were probably going through their own morning routines, preparing for the KNVB Cup quarterfinal against NEC Nijmegen.
But unlike every other match day in recent months, Amani wouldn't be lacing up his boots in the away dressing room. Instead, he'd be watching from the stands, experiencing the game from an entirely different perspective.
