African leaders, fans across Africa celebrate Arsenal’s EPL triumph

Key topics:African presidents celebrate Arsenal Premier League win on social mediaKagame, Ruto among leaders congratulating Arsenal, tapping huge fanbaseContinental celebrations erupt; Botswana denies holiday rumor.By Taonga Mitimingi and Ruth Olurounbi.African presidents took to social media to welcome Arsenal Football Club’s first English Premier League title in more than two decades, tapping into the club’s vast fan base across the continent.The British team won the world’s richest football league on Tuesday night, when closest rival Manchester City FC failed to secure the points it needed in a match against AFC Bournemouth to remain contenders. Spontaneous street celebrations erupted in cities across the continent, from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi and the city of Ilorin in western Nigeria..Rwandan President Paul Kagame, a longtime fan, was among the first to congratulate the team. The Rwanda Development Board, a state agency, sponsors Arsenal T-shirts through its Visit Rwanda tourism brand..Arsenal has supporters’ groups in at least two dozen of Africa’s 55 countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt.Kenya’s William Ruto — a lifelong Arsenal supporter — also weighed in, taking the opportunity to join a rare feel-good national conversation a day after his administration had to contend with a strike by public-transport operators over the surging fuel costs..Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema — himself a Barcelona supporter who’s campaigning for a second term in elections scheduled for August — congratulated fans on the club’s victory, referring to them as “the opposition.”Meanwhile, Botswana government issued an official denial that a public holiday has been declared in honor of the title win..© 2026 Bloomberg L.P..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox every morning on weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa's bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.

African leaders, fans across Africa celebrate Arsenal’s EPL triumph

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