SAN FRANCISCO, October 19, (THEWILL) – Over the weekend, protesters across the globe continued to lend their voices as they joined their counterparts in Nigeria in the #ENDSARS Movement which is in the pursuit of an end to police brutality, intimidation and killings in Nigeria coupled with calls for comprehensive police reforms.
Amongst those who displayed unanimous solidarity with the cause were two Nigerian strikers playing for their respective clubs in Serie A.
By their actions, the pair of Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and Crotone forward Simeon Nwankwo brought more attention to the protests and amplified the voices raised in the #ENDSARS Movement to the global audience.
Osimhen, in action for Napoli against Atalanta, celebrated his debut goal in the Italian top flight by raising a t-shirt with the words “#ENDPOLICEBRUTALITY IN NIGERIA” clearly branded in black against the white of the t-shirt.
With his Colombian goalkeeper teammate providing the assist, the Nigerian striker latched on to the through ball, and his right-footed shot from outside the box found its way to nestle in the bottom left corner of the net.
His goal was the fourth in a 4-1 demolition of the free-scoring Italian Serie A side whom they hosted at the Stadio San Paolo, in Napoli, Italy.
He made sure to brandish the t-shirt while celebrating in front of the cameras while the attention was on him for the whole world to see.
Crotone striker Nwankwo, after scoring against Serie A giants Juventus, displayed a similar sense of solidarity with the movement. The 28-year-old striker’s goal came from the penalty spot, 11 minutes into the first half.
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Juve’s centre back Leonardo Bonucci was adjudged to have brought down his Crotone teammate, the Polish left midfielder, Arkadiusz Reca, inside the penalty area after Juve were outnumbered in a counter attack. The referee wasted no time to point to the spot.
Nwankwo stepped up to beat Juve veteran keeper Gianluigi Buffon, placing it in the bottom-right corner and sending Buffon the wrong way. And like Osimhen, he let the cameras see the inscription “END POLICE BRUTALITY IN NIGERIA” on the t-shirt he raised in celebration.
Sports personalities across the world have expressed unanimity and shown willingness to support the cause of Nigerians protesting against the violent Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a unit of the Nigeria Police Force which had gained notoriety for mirroring the actions of groups they were set up to fight.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
