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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Xaymaca Awoyungbo

Unity Cup final offers identity and bragging rights to London’s diaspora

Jamaica fans cheer on their team in a Caribbean derby game against Trinidad & Tobago.
Jamaica fans cheer on their team in a Caribbean derby game against Trinidad & Tobago. Photograph: Anthony Hanc/Shutterstock

Where are you from? This simple question can be a minefield for anyone with a hyphenated identity. Depending on who is asking, I could be British, Nigerian or Jamaican. In Britain I’m black. In Nigeria I’m an innit innit boy. In Jamaica I’m ‘from foreign’. I’m from here but I’m not from here. Each layer of my cultural backdrop explains so much and complicates even more.

The Unity Cup validates the experiences of many people like me who are a part of London’s diaspora communities. The friendly football tournament brings together Ghana, Nigeria, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago across five days to compete for nothing more than the love of game, the celebration of culture and the chance to earn unassailable bragging rights.

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