This Black History Month, West Ham United players are highlighting the Black heroes who have inspired them in their lives. Today, Mohammed Kudus explains why Nelson Mandela is such an inspirational figure to him…
My Black hero is Nelson Mandela.
For me, he is my hero because he stopped Apartheid, which was racism in South Africa.
There were differences in the ways of living of the people in South Africa back then due to colour, and he led the cause [against it] and sacrificed himself for it and hopefully succeeded.
He’s not alive today, but this will remain forever in the country. That’s how he’s my hero.
His overall message was all about freedom and I think freedom is important. We all have to live whichever way we want in our various lives, in football and however you want to live.
So I think that’s why he inspired me the most, so I can relate to it in the sense of my life, of living free, and just doing whatever I feel like doing and whenever and however.
