Nigeria win Unity Cup in ‘carnival-like' atmosphere: Steel drums, beef patties and a penalty shootout

New York Times

2 days ago

The train from Waterloo station, just south of the River Thames in central London, to Brentford's Gtech Community stadium in west London was only 20 minutes, but a group of three Jamaica fans took the time to hang the country's flag in the window.
Another Jamaica fan tested out the three horns he had brought and proclaimed they were going to win the Unity Cup. The vibes were high.
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The four participating nations have been represented in English football through players — such as Dwight Yorke (Trinidad and Tobago), Michael Essien (Ghana), Shola Ameobi (Nigeria) and Wes Morgan (Jamaica), and three of the four countries — except Trinidad and Tobago — have active Premier League players.
But it was a rare opportunity to see the national teams on U.K. soil — this was the first Unity Cup since 2004, and these fans did not waste the opportunity.
Steel drums, horns (including vuvuzelas), and half-time performances from music artists, including Young T and Bugsey and Stylo G, all contributed to the sounds of national pride.
Appropriate nutrition was needed to fuel such energy during a day that stretched from 12.30pm BST (the first game's kick-off) to 7.15pm (when the second game finished). Among the Afro-Caribbean food and drink options inside the stadium were Jamaican beef patties, jerk chicken burgers, fruit punches and Supermalt.
Nigerian supporter Cliff Ediale came while celebrating his 28th birthday. 'I've only ever watched them (Nigeria) on TV. It's the first time I've watched in person,' he tells The Athletic. He'd seen clips of Nigeria's 2-1 win over Ghana three days prior and was excited to come and support.
Up first was the third-place game between Ghana and Trinidad and Tobago, with the pair losing to Nigeria and Jamaica respectively earlier in the week. Leicester City's Jordan Ayew, Ghana's captain, scored the opener and assisted twice before being substituted in the 60th minute, and his team won convincingly 4-0. The other goalscorers were Razak Simpson, Mohammed Fuseini and Lawrence Agyekum.
With it being an all-day event, people arrived gradually. No time was louder than in the hour approaching the second game, the final, between Jamaica and Nigeria. People's eardrums would have been ringing on their way home.
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As crowds reached their peak, there were team sections on either side of the stadium, but Jamaica were best represented, taking over the neutral zones, too.
After Jamaica's 3-2 win over Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday, manager Steve McClaren said of the support: 'They're always vocal, home or away. That's why we are here, for the Jamaica players to experience playing in the UK, the UK-based players to play in front of family and friends wearing a Jamaica shirt, but most importantly for the two and a half million people in this country (half a million living in London) and it felt like we had them all in here.'
Before the actual national anthems of these countries sounded, honorary ones from Nigeria and Jamaica were played, such as Clarks by Vybz Kartel, Popcaan and Gaza Slim, and Last Last by Burna Boy.
One Nigeria fan, who attended with friends, said: 'The atmosphere was very carnival-like. It reminded me a lot of Notting Hill carnival or any game with a west African or Caribbean team. Steel drum bands, vuvuzelas, so I think it definitely had that atmosphere, and it was good to see that in the Brentford stadium.'
He continued: 'It was a really good incentive, bringing communities together. It was not only a celebration of the footballing talents but also of the cultures. Having the entertainment from different nations was another feature that added to the celebration.'
Anyone whose first football games were at the Unity Cup would have a very different perception of a fan experience than the usual Premier League games at the same stadium. It showcased how football, a global game, is enjoyed differently around the world.
The game itself proved worthy of a final.
Nigeria took the lead twice through Moses Simon and then Samuel Chukwueze, but Jamaica were able to find a response both times from Kaheim Dixon and Jon Russell (of Charlton and Barnsley respectively).
Milan's Chukwueze revelled on this stage, exciting fans further with a number skilful runs on the ball. He appeared to go down injured in the 79th minute but adamantly signalled to the bench he wanted to stay on, clearly enjoying himself.
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With the game finishing 2-2 after 90 minutes, it went straight to penalties, taking the atmosphere up another notch.
Dwayne Atkinson of Jamaica missed their fourth penalty, and Nigeria scored all five of theirs to win the cup. These were all considered friendly games on paper, but meant a lot more to fans, players and managers, too.
Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle said in the post-match press conference: 'I don't want to talk about it because maybe people say, 'Blah, blah , blah', but the reality is this is my first trophy as a coach and I hope I can bring to Nigeria another trophy.'
While the Champions League final stole the headlines on Saturday, there was no doubt who the respective fans in west London were championing. They will hope it is not another 20 years until next time.