Black Footballers Have Been at the Heart of Arsenal's Modern History

Not all goals are created equal. Some are more remarkable, more memorable and simply immortal, like that Nwankwo Kanu goal on October 23, 1999. 

Having scored two goals fifteen minutes before, the Nigerian striker had hit the kind of flow state that makes an audacious strike from an acute angle look effortless. Scoring his third goal just inches off the byline after rounding the opposing goalkeeper, Kanu’s technical mastery sank a Chelsea side that had yet to concede a goal at home in the Premier League that season, and it is considered the zenith of his mythos as an Arsenal legend.

That goal could also be credited for the creation of thousands, if not millions, of Arsenal fans across Africa. For many Nigerians, that’s definitely the case. “I was eleven when we watched Kanu and that [Nigerian] team win Olympic gold,” Maxwell Adewoye tells OkayAfrica, referencing the now-vaunted Dream Team that beat out Brazil and Argentina at the Atlanta ‘96 games. The lanky forward scored the goal that brought Nigeria level with Brazil in the semifinal and the golden goal that sent the team to the final match, and he immediately became a hero for many Nigerians.

“As soon as he got to Arsenal, many of my friends became fans of the club and I joined them,” Adewoye says. “I didn’t see those goals he scored against Chelsea live but I remember that many sports programs [on local television] used a clip of that third goal in their intro for years.”

Earlier this week, Arsenal won its first Premier League title in 22 years. The wait was incredibly long and the path was laden with uncertainty, so it makes sense that there’s been an unprecedented level of celebration across the world. In Africa, the pomp has been dialled up to a ten by Arsenal fans, reflective of the extravagance that’s woven into football culture on the continent. On social media, there have been glimpses of street parties and church thanksgiving services, and it is a given that there will be joyous gatherings everywhere when Arsenal finally lifts the Premier League trophy at Selhurst Park after playing their final league game of the season against Crystal Palace.

“It has been quite an experience to follow Arsenal Football Club’s epic adventure, from times of struggle and crushing setback, to successive seasons of recovery and resurgence on their glorious path to the summit of the English Premier League,” Kenyan President William Ruto shared in a statement after the league title was confirmed. Similar congratulatory notes were shared by Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Zambia’s Hakainde Hichilema, a well-known Barcelona fan. In Botswana, the government had to debunk rumours of a public holiday for Arsenal fans to celebrate.

Arsenal’s History of African Players

The widespread support for Arsenal among Africans is tied to its extensive history of fielding African and Black players. It’s a history that dates back to Brendan Batson, the first Black player to don an Arsenal jersey, down to talismen like Ian Wright and Thierry Henry, and club legends Kolo Touré, Patrick Viera and many, many more. As traced down in the 2024 book Black Arsenal: Club, Culture, Identity, the team consistently represent the multicultural verve of London and extended into a more global representation with the arrival of former long-term manager Arsène Wenger.

As the English top flight rebranded to become the Premier League in 1992, Wright was one of the very few black players that stood as the face of an English side and, not only was he a bombshell of a striker, he genuinely relished wearing his identity on his sleeve. His generally assured attitude and flamboyant goal celebrations, which sometimes included doing the Jamaican Bogle dance, is no doubt foundational to the freedom African and Black players expressed at Arsenal. Think Henry or Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor or current starboy Bukayo Saka, an English player with Nigerian roots.

In September 2002, Arsenal became the first team to name nine Black players in its starting eleven for a premier league match. Kanu scored twice in that match, with two more goals scored by Henry and Touré in the resounding 4-1 win. “I will be lying to say I was thinking much about representation in those days,” Adewoye admits. “I fell in love with the team because they had really good players, but in hindsight I can say it was much easier to identify with a club that had Kanu and these other Black players. Even in the years we weren’t winning, we had African players like Gervinho and [Marouane] Chamakhh.”

It also helps that Arsenal is proud of its African and diasporic connection, recently highlighted by its 2024/25 alternate jersey, which spots collar and sleeve design in green and red, colours traditionally associated with pan-Africanism. The jersey was designed in collaboration with Foday Dumbuya, the Sierra Leone-born founder of LABRUM London.

Black footballers, a lot of them African or with pronounced African roots, have been at the heart of Arsenal’s modern history. The league title celebrations across Africa, no matter how outlandish they may get, are a reflection of a legacy that African fans feel they are a part of. “I don’t even think this is the peak the celebrations get,” Adewoye says. “Just wait until the Champions League final and see what craziness takes place if Arsenal win.”