Andrew Watson: The 'most influential' black footballer for decades lost to history

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  By Andrew Aloia BBC Sport Last updated on 11 October 2021 11 October 2021 . From the section Football Watson was a trailblazer who helped transform how football was played There are two murals of black footballers facing one another across an alleyway in Glasgow. One helped shape football as we know it, the other is Pele. Andrew Watson captained Scotland to a 6-1 win over England on his debut in 1881. He was a pioneer, the world's first black international, but for more than a century the significance of his achievements went unrecognised. Research conducted over the past three decades has left us with some biographical details: a man descended of slaves and of those who enslaved them, born in Guyana, raised to become an English gentleman and famed as one of Scottish football's first icons. And yet today, 100 years on from his death aged 64, Watson remains something of an enigma, the picture built around him a fractured one. His grainy, faded, sepia image evokes many differen...
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Nigeria: Meet Hope - the Abandoned Toddler Accused of Witchcraft Now a Budding Schoolboy Athlete

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Photo: Anja Ringgren Lovén/Facebook
Meet Hope - From being branded a witch, abandoned, rejected and stigmatized to representing his school in 100 meters race.
In February 2016 This is Africa shared the gut wrenching picture of an abandoned toddler, accused of being a witch in Uyo, Nigeria. Recently, Anja Ringgren the charity worker who rescued Hope shared pictures of the boy on Facebook, donning his school sports kit, participating in the inter-house sports competition.
In February 2016 This is Africa shared the gut wrenching picture, and story of a toddler who was abandoned, and called a witch by his community in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, in Nigeria. The toddler was rescued by Anja Ringgren Lovén, a Danish humanitarian worker, and David Emmanuel Umem who run the African Children's Aid Education and Development Foundation, a charity organisation dedicated to helping abandoned children.
The toddler, later named Hope, was found in a delicate state, owing to the inhumane conditions he was living in.
A year after his rescue Hope made such a remarkable recovery, and started attending school, news which went viral on social media, and it was celebrated by many people across the continent.
Fast forward to 2019, Hope is living testimony to the power of humanity to help others in need, transforming lives by alleviating suffering, protecting life and health, and upholding human dignity.
Recently, Anja Ringgren shared the story, and latest pictures of Hope on Facebook, donning his sports kit, representing his team in the school's inter-house sports competition. The lovely pictures certainly warmed the hearts of many people who followed the story from when the boy was rescued in 2016.
Anja wrote on Facebook: "From being branded a witch, abandoned, rejected and stigmatized to representing his school in 100 meters race 💪🏿🏃🏿‍♂️😍 Today, Hope is taking part in his school's Inter-House Sport Festival and of course he will be representing his team in the 100 meters race🏅🏆 See my little nugget he's got swag 😂😎🤙🏿".
Plight of children accused of witchcraft
Thousands of children are accused of being witches in parts of Africa, and the children are tortured, and even killed.
The children accused of witchcraft are blamed for any perceived curse in the community either by neighbours or their own families. The accusations include being blamed for diseases, death in the family/community, a bad harvest or the loss of a job, accidents and any other natural calamities.
In worst cases, children get mutilated or even killed. The number of unreported cases is high, and police often refuses to intervene, as these cultural acts are a taboo subject in public discourse and the fear of supernatural powers is widespread even for the police and the prosecutors.
The protection of children from violence, including harmful practices, is enshrined in international human rights laws that have been adopted by the international community.

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