Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium is about to host a rejuvenated tournament of rivalries brought back for the first time since 2004, featuring four nations with large communities in London.
Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago will face off to see who will be crowned the first Unity Cup winners for 21 years.
The first semi-final will take place today between Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago (kick-off 7pm UK time), before Nigeria face Ghana on Wednesday (7pm UK Time). The four teams will play again on Saturday, May 31, with a third-place game (beginning first at 12.30pm UK time) and a final to crown the champions.
Here, The Athletic’s Nnamdi Onyeagwara and Carl Anka explain what’s going on.
Tell us a little bit about the history of the competition…
The original Unity Cup was a tournament held in the summer of 2004 between three nations with large communities in London: the Republic of Ireland, Nigeria and Jamaica.
Three games took place across five days at the Valley, the home of Charlton Athletic.
The first game on May 29 saw a Republic of Ireland side that featured Robbie Keane and Steve Finnan fall to a 3-0 defeat against Nigeria. That Nigeria team had then-Inter forward Obafemi Martins and John Utaka, three years before he would make his move to Portsmouth, lining up for them, with Martins scoring the second goal.
Keane playing in the 2004 Unity Cup for Ireland (Paul Mcfegan/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Nigeria then beat a Jamaica outfit boasting Marlon King and Kevin Lisbie 2-0 on May 31, with Utaka scoring the opener. This win secured the Unity Cup trophy for the Super Eagles.
The final game of the 2004 edition saw Ireland beat Jamaica 1-0 on June 2 thanks to a goal from former Arsenal striker Graham Barrett.
Nnamdi Onyeagwara
What rivalries can we expect to see?
Nigeria and Ghana are the two largest nations in West Africa that the British colonised. Since gaining independence, a (mostly) friendly rivalry has developed where both nations constantly bicker as to who is better: at everything. Food. Football. Music. Culture. Which country has a more stable electricity grid. Which country has the more attractive people.
Fans call it the “jollof derby”, referencing the rice-based dish that originated in Senegal but has different variations across West Africa. When the two countries faced each other in a two-legged tie to qualify for Qatar 2022, Ghana won that tie on away goals, leading Nigeria fans to storm the pitch in Abuja.
Jamaica vs Trinidad & Tobago is arguably the strongest football rivalry in the Caribbean. The two countries are the only teams from the region to qualify for the World Cup in their respective histories. This is a rivalry for cultural supremacy. Reggae v Soca music. Who has the best track and field team? Who makes the best food?
In short: both of these rivalries are about nations with a shared culture and a sibling-like squabble.
Carl Anka
Why is England the perfect place to host a competition like this?
London’s diversity is evidenced by the outlook of the city’s football clubs, with the different religions and faiths of those in the city and the different cultures, slang and music evident.
In January, England striker Ivan Toney, who is of Jamaican descent, posted a video of Arsenal’s England midfielder Declan Rice singing dancehall artist Mad Cobra’s song “Press Trigger” word for word.
And just after Rice joined Arsenal from West Ham United in the summer of 2023, he shared a personal story about his then-team-mate Eddie Nketiah and how the striker would bring a big bowl of jollof rice, the traditional African dish, to feed the team.
When speaking about what to expect at the Unity Cup, Brentford club ambassador and former Jamaica international Marcus Gayle said: “This tournament will not only bring together elite footballing talent from Africa and the Caribbean, but also celebrate the deep cultural and sporting connections between these nations.”
With so many football fans in England of West African and Caribbean descent, this tournament will allow them in particular to celebrate their heritage.
Nnamdi Onyeagwara
England, and more specifically London, serves as a meeting point for people across the Afro-Caribbean diaspora.
The capital is home to first-, second- and third-generation immigrants from all four nations.
Carl Anka
What do you think this competition will mean to British fans of West African or Caribbean descent?
Do not be fooled by the description — this is not a ‘friendly’ tournament.
Yes, the winner will not lift the World Cup, the Africa Cup of Nations trophy or the CONCACAF Gold Cup, but what is at stake here is much more significant: bragging rights.
Nigeria and Ghana, whose first official meeting was in 1960, will go toe-to-toe again. However, there is no forgetting the never-ending debate over which nation makes the best Jollof rice dish.
In England, Jamaica and Trinidad also have their own personal battles between nations, largely centred around music. For example, whether Trinidadian calypso, soca, and steelpan music is better than Jamaican reggae, dub and dancehall music.
These debates are fierce whether being had on social media, on the playgrounds of British schools or when those disputes continue into adulthood.
Carl and I agree on many things, but who makes the best jollof rice is absolutely not one of them!
Simply put, the games being played this week are about much more than just football and victory will mean a lot to the eventual champions.
Nnamdi Onyeagwara
This might be a rare regional tournament where the semi-finals have more cultural importance than the final. As Nnamdi says, bragging rights will be huge, as these are football rivalries with plenty of spice, but occur perhaps once a year (at best).
The last time Ghana and Nigeria met for a friendly at Brentford’s old Griffin Park, Ghana won 4-1, ending a 15-year streak of dominance for the Super Eagles.
Ghana fans stormed the pitch in celebration of the win. If you’re of West African or Caribbean descent, you’ll want to be at these games, because it makes the gloating all the sweeter for when you next meet friends and colleagues from the opposing side.
Fans on the Griffin Park pitch in 2007 when Ghana beat Nigeria (Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Carl Anka
Why could this be a big cultural moment?
In the current political climate, I hope this tournament will be a timely reminder of the joy that cultural diversity can bring.
It will be a meaningful tournament for British fans of West African or Caribbean descent, but also for those who aren’t.
Eberechi Eze, who is of Nigerian descent, helped bring joy to the whole of south London with an FA Cup-winning goal a couple of weeks ago. Cole Palmer is of Caribbean descent and his great-grandparents were part of the Windrush generation. Hopefully, they can both go on and help England lift the World Cup in 2026 and if they are eating jollof rice and listening to reggae or dancehall music while they do it, then more power to them.
Sport, music, culture and art — they are there for us all to enjoy and contribute to, whatever your background. I hope the 2025 Unity Cup is a tournament that exemplifies that.
Nnamdi Onyeagwara
These rivalries are more than just football.
The four nations enjoy a friendly bicker about everything. Music, culture, art — the works. The Unity Cup will be an amazing showcase from all four nations about what makes their countries great.
It’ll be a fantastic opportunity for those across the Black diaspora (the people living around the world who can trace their roots back to Africa) to showcase their culture and reconnect with old friends and foes. Get back in touch with their roots. Football is meant to be fun. The Unity Cup will be a great reminder of that.
Carl Anka
(Top photos: Getty Images)
