Izuchukwu Okosi
The Football Black List for 2022, which highlights the most influential black figures in English football, has been released on Thursday.
The list contains some exciting names among whom are full-fledged Nigerians working in the UK or Anglo-Nigerians born in Britain.
The Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea trio of Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling lead the Premier League names on the Football Black List – an initiative to highlight the most influential black figures in the game.
Saka has Nigerian roots while the duo of Rashford and Sterling have parents originally from Ghana and Jamaica respectively.
The Premier League stars were named alongside Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira – the only black manager currently in England’s top-flight, while Burnley’s Vincent Kompany also made the list from a coaching perspective.
Vieira won the 1998 World Cup with France but is of Senegalese descent while Kompany represented Belgium in international football but has Congo DR blood.
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The list also includes the black figures working behind the scenes in football. Brentford non-executive director Deji Davies – the Premier League’s only black board member – and QPR sporting director Les Ferdinand, the only black individual holding a position of his kind in the game, are also named.
Overall the Football Black List is divided into eight categories: Administration, coaching and management, commercial, community, players, LGBTQ+, media and practitioners.
There is also Ugo Ehiogu‘s Ones To Watch list, which recognises talented, young people in the industry under 30 years of age.
Late Ehiogu who died in April 2017, played briefly for England at the international level but is of the Igbo tribe from the Southeastern part of Nigeria.
“We are delighted to be sharing another incredible and inspirational Football Black List. Black excellence shines so brightly in the game and this list underlines that,” said Leon Mann MBE, co-founder of the Football Black List.
“I am particularly proud to see the list now feature board members, and managers at the top of the game but clearly we still have a long way to go to see better representation in football.
“However, we are highlighting those leading the way. We are proud of these individuals and the impact they are making.”
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
