In 1970, the Austrian writer Peter Handke published a psychological thriller cum crime novel Die Angst des Tormanns beim Elfmeter (The Goalkeeper's Fear of the Penalty) which was turned into a film of the same name by the rising German arthouse director Wim Wenders.
Budding auteurs and authors de nos jours keen on such internal machinations might consider a riff on the person taking the spot kick following Rosella Ayane's adventure into legend late on Monday night at the crescendo of the semi-final between Morocco and Nigeria.
After her walk from the centre circle to the penalty area for the shot that could send Morocco into their first final at the women's Cup of Nations, the Mauritian referee Maria Rivet starts talking to Ayane.
First problem, Ayane later reveals, is that Rivet is speaking in French. "And I really don't understand that," she adds
Explanations
Next wrinkle. Rivet's English is broken. "And I wanted to understand what she was saying because I didn't want to muck it up."
Logical. Fifth penalty. Stakes historic and perhaps even career-defining.
As nearly 46,000 spectators in the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah in Rabat wait for the kick, Rivet takes a good 20 seconds telling the 26-year-old that should she score, she should not celebrate instantly but rather wait for confirmation that the strike is valid.
So far, so existential.
Even after the ball hit the back of the net past the despairing dive of the Nigeria goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, Ayane stood stock still by the spot.
She was still frozen by the time teammates had run onto the pitch to congratulate her.
Concentration
"No I wasn't celebrating like Eric Cantona," Ayane joked during the early hours of Tuesday morning following celebrations in the Morocco dressing room.
"I've just never had all that before a penalty," added Ayane who plays for Tottenham Hotspur in the Women's Super League in England.
"We went through a couple of languages before we finally got to English. It felt like quite a long moment but I was thinking just about where I was going to put my penalty."
The game finished 1-1 after extra-time. Nigeria were reduced to 10 players in the 48th minute after Halimatu Ayinde was dismissed for a hack on Ayane's heel.
Defence
Nigeria then scored before Sanaa Mssoudy levelled. Rasheedat Ajibade was also dismissed for a crude challenge on the Moroccan defender Zineb Redouani.
After the indiscipline came spectacular solidarity and a hearty defence of their trophy all the way to the shoot-out where Nigeria's second penalty - taken by Ifeoma Onumonu - was saved by the Morocco goalkeeper Khadija Er-Rmichi.
Gift Monday kept Nigerian hopes alive with a successfult fifth kick before Ayane's decisive intervention.
"You could feel the tension while we were 11 against nine," said Ayane. "It's a learning curve and we'll learn how to manage a situation like this for the next time.
"I don't think we played our best football," Ayane reflected. "And that's incredible because we've beaten Nigeria who are one of the best teams in Africa and we're in the final of the tournament that we are hosting."
South Africa, runners-up to Nigeria at the last Cup of Nations in 2018, will be Morocco's opponents in Saturday's final at the Princce Moulay Abdallah Stadium after they beat Zambia 1-0 in Casablanca.
Amid all the stir before the kick-off in Rabat, one particular Morocco player will be checking where the ref comes from.
