How Kanu inspired New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s love for Arsenal

Former Nigeria captain Nwankwo Kanu has been identified as one of the figures who helped shape the football identity of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The American politician effusively described the Arsenal legend as a symbol of familiarity and representation during his childhood.

Writing in The Athletic ahead of Arsenal’s UEFA Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain, Mamdani reflected on his lifelong connection with the North London club and how Kanu played a key role in that journey.

“My relationship with my club began the same way it does for most football fans: before I was old enough to understand what I was getting myself into,” Mr Mamdani wrote.

“When I was nine, my uncle introduced me to a team with a cannon on its shirt, a grizzled captain named Tony Adams and players such as Nwankwo Kanu – who had been born in Africa but now lived somewhere else, just like me. Arsenal felt familiar before I even understood why.”

King Kanu and his legacy

The comments have again highlighted Kanu’s enduring influence beyond football, especially among Africans in the diaspora who saw in the Nigerian striker a representation of talent, migration and global success.

Kanu remains one of Nigeria’s most celebrated football exports. The former Super Eagles captain enjoyed a decorated career with Ajax, Inter Milan, Arsenal, West Bromwich Albion and Portsmouth, winning major honours across Europe.

At Arsenal, where he played between 1999 and 2004 under Arsène Wenger, Kanu became a fan favourite for his flair, creativity and unforgettable goals. He was part of the famous “Invincibles” squad that went unbeaten throughout the 2003/2004 English Premier League season.

The Nigerian forward also won two Premier League titles and two FA Cups with the club, while his remarkable hat-trick against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in 1999 remains one of the most iconic performances in Premier League history.

Beyond club football, Kanu captained Nigeria to Olympic gold at the Atlanta 1996 Games and featured prominently in multiple FIFA World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.

Mamdani, who recently became Mayor of New York City, used his article to celebrate Arsenal’s resurgence and reflect on years of emotional investment in the club.

“We won. We are champions of England. And we are just one game away from being crowned champions of Europe, too. What was once the nostalgia of the past has become the beauty of the present,” he wrote.

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The politician also described how supporting Arsenal became intertwined with identity and belonging for many Africans abroad.

“For those of us with African roots, Arsenal represented something larger,” Mamdani wrote.

“This was a club that embraced African players before much of Europe bothered to scout the continent seriously. A club that sent players to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). A club where players from Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Cameroon were central to our story.”

Kanu was among a generation of African stars who helped redefine perceptions of African footballers in Europe during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Alongside players such as Lauren, Kolo Touré and Emmanuel Adebayor, he contributed to Arsenal’s multicultural identity under Wenger.

While Kanu enjoyed a sterling playing football career, his transition to football administration hasn’t been superb.

As chairman of Nigeria Premier Football League side Enyimba, Kanu hasn’t been able to transform the People’s Elephant to a formidable side with the team only escaping relegation on the final day of the just concluded 2025/2026 NPFL season.