Sudani from Nigeria 2018

In a rural town in the Malappuram district of Kerala, Majeed Soubin Shahir is an unmarried, dedicated football coach who runs a local Sevens team, MYC Accode. After spotting fresh talent, he brings in three Nigerian players, and their presence catapults the team’s fame, turning small-town matches into something the whole community starts watching with pride. Yet the surface-level glow of success hides growing financial pressures that weigh on Majeed, his friends, and the players alike, threatening to pull the team apart just as they rise.

An unfortunate accident sidelines the team’s star, Samuel ‘Sudu’ Robinson Samuel Abiola Robinson, who must rest and recover. With mounting medical bills, Majeed makes a practical, compassionate choice: Samuel can stay at his house, where his mother is the only adult present, and where his step-father—who works as a security guard—visits occasionally. Samuel, the Sudani from Nigeria, becomes a fixture in the town’s daily rhythm, drawing visitors and sparking conversations as neighbors come to check on his progress.

As days pass, a quiet bond forms between Majeed and Samuel. They share stories from their lives, revealing the layers of hardship, ambition, and resilience that brought them to this moment. Majeed’s personal pain surfaces as well: he harbors a quiet anger toward his step-father K T C Abdullah and resents his mother for remarrying after the death of his father, a strain that complicates everyday family ties even as the two men grow closer in spirit and understanding.

Samuel’s background adds weight to the friendship. He lost both parents in the civil war and spent years in a refugee camp, living with his grandmother and two sisters, driven by the hope of one day earning enough to support his family. The town’s care and curiosity about the recovering footballer deepen, while the looming shadow of his refugee status shadows every plan they make.

Trouble arrives in the form of a newspaper article that celebrates Samuel’s recovery and the town’s warmth, drawing the attention of police who come looking for Samuel and his passport. The search triggers a cascade of urgency: Samuel learns that his grandmother has passed away and that he longs to be with his sisters, while the missing passport threatens to strand him in a nightmare of paperwork and fear. The revelation that Samuel’s passport is not legitimate—passport papers forged because he cannot legally obtain one as a refugee—shocks everyone and forces a hard choice.

With the passport issue unresolved, Majeed works to secure a duplicate, and the reality of Samuel’s situation comes into sharp relief. When the passport is finally recovered, Majeed buys a ticket, and Samuel prepares for a difficult farewell, torn between family duties and the life he has built with the people who welcomed him.

The goodbye is emotional, and it marks a turning point for Majeed. Returning from the airport, he takes steps to repair his fractured relationship with his own family, inviting his step-father back into their home, a gesture that brings his mother’s surprised happiness. The town watches as a circle of hurts begins to close, and what began as a professional alliance on a football field evolves into a story about belonging, reconciliation, and the healing power of human connection.