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Back row (left to right): Danny Graham, Jozy Altidore, Santiago Vergini, Sebastian Coates, John O’Shea, Connor Wickham, Wes Brown, Steven Fletcher, Jack Rodwell
Middle row: Andy Beasley, Cabral, Billy Jones, Ricky Alvarez, Vito Mannone, Costel Pantilimon, Jordan Pickford, Patrick van Aanholt, Jordi Gomez, Will Buckley, Antonio Pintus
Front row: Dr Ish Rehman, Charis Mavrias, Liam Bridcutt, Adam Johnson, Gus Poyet, Mauricio Taricco, Lee Cattermole, Sebastian Larsson, Emanuele Giaccherini, Charlie Oatway
Premier League football club Sunderland AFC, a Legacy Partner of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, has released the official portrait of its 2014-2015 squad.
In a first for football worldwide, the Foundation and Sunderland AFC entered into their partnership in February 2013, in terms of which the club would promote Nelson Mandela’s legacy by harnessing the global reach of the Barclays Premier League.
Only a month later, Sunderland squared off against Manchester United in a Premiership match dubbed “Nelson Mandela Day”, at which a donation mechanism for fans to donate £2 each to the Foundation was launched. The shirts worn during the game were also auctioned off online, with all proceeds going to the Foundation.
In March this year, 39 youngsters from St Matthews Secondary School in Soweto had a wonderful opportunity to attend a Mandela-inspired coaching session with Sunderland AFC coaches Graham Robinson and Michael Havelock, in an initiative that used sport to promote literacy.
And on Nelson Mandela International Day this year, 18 July, Sunderland AFC’s contribution was to donate food, clothing and toiletries to Sunderland’s Centrepoint hostel for youth.
“Sunderland AFC has nailed its colours to the mast by promoting Mr Mandela’s legacy to the wider world, in what it stands for and what it does. We’re very proud of our association with the club, and we wish the team all of the best for the 2014/15 season,” says Foundation Chief Executive Sello Hatang.