Strange things can happen in football, but that’s what makes football the best game on the planet. But while some of the strangeness can easily be explained, some events look utterly bizarre and surreal. Such was William Akio’s miss from point-blank range on Sunday.Playing for Valour FC in the Canadian Premier League, the Nairobi-born South Sudan international ended on the winning side despite missing the best chance a striker could ever wish for early on in their match against HFX Wanderers.WHAT DID WE JUST WITNESS!? 👀One of the most bizarre sequences in soccer history, as this player celebrates a “goal” too early and kicks the ball into the sky BEFORE it fully crosses the line 💀#FIFA22 | #FUT | #soccer pic.twitter.com/JdTrfaE0ss— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) July 10, 2022 With 16 minutes on the game clock, Akio got himself in a great position as his team broke down the left flank. The ball deflected off a defender and turned towards the goal-line and into Akio’s path. The onrushing striker only needed to touch it to score with the ball standing right on the line. However, he inexplicably kicked it far from the net and out of bounds for a throw-in. To say it was a bad miss would be an understatement.##NAJAVA_MECA_6500893##But the 23-year-old was calm after the game, explaining his miss as a simple mistake.”I want to start by saying I’m happy for the three points and our team’s resilience last night.I really just missed a wide-open net. It’s simple as that. Everyone makes mistakes on the job. It’s part of life. I will bounce back as I always have in life and football.”Akio was let off the hook by his teammate Moses Dyer, who scored the only goal of the match five minutes from time to give Valour the three points.WILLIAM AKIO 🎙️Response to a viral moment in soccer history ⚽(🗣️: https://t.co/jWRpZy6ePi)#CanPL | #ForValour pic.twitter.com/IpMO7LQh5c— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) July 11, 2022 The striker, who was born in a refugee camp before relocating to Canada, says that he hasn’t let the incident get to him.”Sometimes, we’re tested not to show our weaknesses but to discover our strengths. Football has its ups and downs, but you can’t let the negative times consume you. Always keep it moving and believe in yourself no matter what.”Hopefully, the miss and the unexpected attention don’t spoil Akio’s potential move to Scottish Premiership club Ross County, who recently recruited his 21-year-old brother Victor Loturi.Hey, it happens.
