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...

Chaos at royal palace as Prince Misuzulu Zulu named new Zulu king

 07 May 2021 - 19:16

Prince Misuzulu, the eldest son of the late Queen Shiyiwe Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu, has been named as the new Zulu King.
Prince Misuzulu, the eldest son of the late Queen Shiyiwe Mantfombi Dlamini Zulu, has been named as the new Zulu King.
Image: Sandile Ndlovu

Prince Misuzulu Zulu has been named as the new Zulu king.

But proceedings at the KwaKhangelamankengane Royal Palace, where Queen Mantfombi's will was read out, quickly descended into chaos on Friday night.

In her will, the late regent of the Zulu kingdom Queen Mantfombi Dlamini bequeathed the monarchy to her first son.

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This means Prince Misuzulu will be installed as the next king of the Zulus.

The queen, who was buried on Friday morning, had shortly before her death been announced as regent, as apparently instructed in King Goodwill Zwelithini KaBhekuzulu's last will and testament. 

However, two of the king's daughters have disputed the authenticity of the will.

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On Friday night after the announcement that the throne was now Prince Misuzulu's, another royal family member, Prince Thokozani Zulu, stood up and questioned the recognition of Prince Misuzulu as the heir. He argued that the king's will did not specify who the regent's successor would be.

Prince Misuzulu had to be whisked away from the meeting shortly after the annoucnement.

“The Royal House should decide because the will did not say who should take over from the queen. The matter of the regency ... had to be gazetted. We wish to know if that was done,” he said.

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Queen Mantfombi's children, who were seated at the front, were the first to stand up and leave the meeting, while Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi argued with Prince Thokozani over whether the public reading of the will was the correct platform to raise the issues he raised.

This is a developing story.

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