Fulham’s Emirates FA Cup clash at Wigan Athletic on Saturday is one laced with sub-plots.
Latics manager Shaun Maloney played under Marco Silva at Hull City, while twin brothers Ryan and Steven Sessegnon could face each other for the first time in their careers.
It will be a special occasion for Martial Godo, too, with the winger tasting regular professional football for the first time during a productive loan spell at Wigan last season, registering eight goal involvements in 34 League One matches.
“It was enjoyable,” Godo told fulhamfc.com. “Saturday, Tuesday games for the first time ever, so I had to get used to that. I have to thank the staff and obviously the manager over there for trusting me and playing me most games.
“It was a really good loan spell for me, personally. Living by myself, it allowed me to grow, as a player off the pitch as well as on it.
“The club, the fans, the gaffer, and also the city, the community, was so welcoming to me, welcomed me with open arms, which allowed me to play so much better as well.
“As the season went on and I went through some ups and downs, it only made me stronger.”
One of the downs the winger refers to was an ankle injury that kept him sidelined for a couple of months, but an undoubted highlight would have been an impressive display against his boyhood club – Manchester United – in the FA Cup.
“Crazy – I still pinch myself to this day,” Godo said when recalling the hard fought 2-0 defeat by United. “I just tried to make my dreams into reality. It was an amazing moment.
“They went full strength, but we just focused on ourselves. I'm focusing on the game, but I'm standing next to Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes and all of these people, and it's just, like, these are the games you want to play and you live for.
“I did get injured for eight weeks with my ankle, but I had some crazy experiences, crazy games – playing United in the FA Cup – and that allowed me just to keep growing and becoming better as a player.”
Godo’s relationship with the FA Cup grew stronger still this season, when he claimed his first Fulham assist in setting up Timothy Castagne for our fourth goal against Watford in Round Three.
“Very special moment,” Godo said with a smile. “Obviously, it was at the Cottage, too.
“Before you play, you don't really think of these moments, you just play and try to do your best, and then when these things come off the buzz is just amazing.
“I’m thankful to the Gaffer for that, for everyone at Fulham for helping me get to that stage, and you just want to keep going, you know? I'm young, so just want to keep getting more games, more goals, more assists, to help out the team and to do my job.
“Me being young, when the Gaffer calls upon you, you have to be able to be trusted, whether that's training or games, playing wherever he needs you to play, and just keep pushing on, doing the best I can do, so the team can trust me, and also the Gaffer can trust me as well, to be called upon immediately.
“We all know, as a group of players and as a team, where he wants to go in this competition, so we have to just do our best to back him in that and support him.”
As well as Godo, a lot of eyes will be on the Sessegnon twins this Saturday. If both are selected, it will be the first time they’ve ever come up against each other on a football pitch.
What fans may not be aware of, though, is that Godo has already counted three Sessegnons as teammates in his short career, at three different clubs.
“It's a normal game, but obviously would be a wholesome moment for both brothers, and for myself as well,” Godo stated.
“Funnily enough, I played with their older brother, Chris, at Margate. When I joined here, Steven was injured, so he was training with the 23s when I first came on trial, and then I played with him when I went Wigan.
“And now I play with Ryan Sess, so it’s a bit crazy! But they’re all great lads, who all took me in as a younger brother and looked after me.”
The magic of the cup certainly feels alive and well heading into the weekend, so what was Godo’s reaction when the draw was made?
“I didn't even know to be fair, I think I was in church or something! I was at Wigan, playing against a Prem team, and now I’m in a Prem team playing against Wigan.
“It's crazy, but it made me start thinking of all the memories I made at the DW Stadium, the fans and everyone, so it is a very wholesome moment.
“But obviously we have to go there to get the job done, and move into the next round, so that's our job to do.”
