TAGWA
WHAT’S IT TO YA?
July 30, 2026
Tagwa Moyo is the editor-in-chief of DARBY Magazine—and this time, he’s the one answering the questions. Since starting DARBY, he’s helped create a platform that tells Canadian football stories through the people, communities and culture surrounding the game. We chopped it up about why he started the magazine, how a little family banter led him to Everton, the moment he truly fell in love with the Toffees, and what needs to happen for football to keep growing in North America.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
As the founder and editor-in-chief of DARBY Magazine, what inspired you to create it?
In short, a lack of coverage and diversity. I felt there weren’t enough Canadian football stories being told—especially stories that went beyond what was happening on the pitch. Diversity within football media has become a bigger conversation lately, but it’s been important to DARBY from the beginning. I want the magazine to create space for people of colour to see themselves represented and feel like they can be part of the football media world. When I grew up I didn't see much representation in the media world, it wasn't until I had a teacher in high school put me on to the fact that being an athlete isn't the only option to be in the game.
We’ve all heard the story, but tell us again: Why Everton?
I was originally a Manchester United fan, but when I was younger, one of my older cousins told me United was his team and that I needed to pick my own. Growing up, my dad and I never really supported the same teams—it was always part of the bants between us. So, since I couldn’t be a United fan anymore, I decided to support one of my dad’s rival teams: Everton.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
As the founder and editor-in-chief of DARBY Magazine, what inspired you to create it?
In short, a lack of coverage and diversity. I felt there weren’t enough Canadian football stories being told—especially stories that went beyond what was happening on the pitch. Diversity within football media has become a bigger conversation lately, but it’s been important to DARBY from the beginning. I want the magazine to create space for people of colour to see themselves represented and feel like they can be part of the football media world. When I grew up I didn't see much representation in the media world, it wasn't until I had a teacher in high school put me on to the fact that being an athlete isn't the only option to be in the game.
We’ve all heard the story, but tell us again: Why Everton?
I was originally a Manchester United fan, but when I was younger, one of my older cousins told me United was his team and that I needed to pick my own. Growing up, my dad and I never really supported the same teams—it was always part of the bants between us. So, since I couldn’t be a United fan anymore, I decided to support one of my dad’s rival teams: Everton.
Supporting a club is one thing, but what was the moment you truly fell in love with Everton?
For me, it was Tom Davies scoring his first goal for the club. Seeing what it meant to him, and how passionately the supporters celebrated him, really stuck with me. We may not always be the best team, but the support from Evertonians is something special.
What are your expectations for Everton next season?
I could write a novel about this if you really wanted. First and foremost, we need to play our young players. Dibling, TG and Armstrong are all top-quality talents we’ve managed to bring in and sign for the long term, so we need to give them opportunities.
As far as results go, it might be lofty, but I’d love for us to qualify for the Conference League. I’m a simple man. Realistically, I can see it being a challenging year, but I can also see us shocking the league and finishing in the top six. That’s the beauty—and pain—of being an Everton supporter.
For me, it was Tom Davies scoring his first goal for the club. Seeing what it meant to him, and how passionately the supporters celebrated him, really stuck with me. We may not always be the best team, but the support from Evertonians is something special.
What are your expectations for Everton next season?
I could write a novel about this if you really wanted. First and foremost, we need to play our young players. Dibling, TG and Armstrong are all top-quality talents we’ve managed to bring in and sign for the long term, so we need to give them opportunities.
As far as results go, it might be lofty, but I’d love for us to qualify for the Conference League. I’m a simple man. Realistically, I can see it being a challenging year, but I can also see us shocking the league and finishing in the top six. That’s the beauty—and pain—of being an Everton supporter.
What needs to change for football to be more fully embraced in North America?
The simplest answer is that we need to embrace our own version of the sport. More specifically, I think we need more off-the-pitch coverage of footballers and the communities surrounding the game. That’s partly a callout to myself, but it’s real.
Community is everything to me. Creating football-specific spaces allows like-minded people to find one another and invite new homies into the game. Showcasing who footballers are away from the pitch and humanizing them can also help fans build stronger connections with them.
It’s equally important to cover the people bringing football supporters together and amplify what they’re doing. We’ve just hosted the World Cup, so football is super cool in North America right now. The challenge is keeping it cool. Whether that means finding ways to bring more major names to MLS or hosting more international matches featuring the world’s top countries, we need to keep giving people reasons to engage with the game.
We saw how Portugal shut down Toronto and Colombia shut down Vancouver. Bring the top ballers here, continue investing in local communities and the game will only keep growing.
Photos & Interview: Ararsa Kitaba
The simplest answer is that we need to embrace our own version of the sport. More specifically, I think we need more off-the-pitch coverage of footballers and the communities surrounding the game. That’s partly a callout to myself, but it’s real.
Community is everything to me. Creating football-specific spaces allows like-minded people to find one another and invite new homies into the game. Showcasing who footballers are away from the pitch and humanizing them can also help fans build stronger connections with them.
It’s equally important to cover the people bringing football supporters together and amplify what they’re doing. We’ve just hosted the World Cup, so football is super cool in North America right now. The challenge is keeping it cool. Whether that means finding ways to bring more major names to MLS or hosting more international matches featuring the world’s top countries, we need to keep giving people reasons to engage with the game.
We saw how Portugal shut down Toronto and Colombia shut down Vancouver. Bring the top ballers here, continue investing in local communities and the game will only keep growing.
Photos & Interview: Ararsa Kitaba
