He proudly wears the Three Lions of England on his chest; none more so than when bagging the first international hat-trick of his career against North Macedonia.
However, Bukayo Saka has long had a curiosity about his Nigerian roots – his parents, Adenike and Yomi, were born in the African country. So the winger went on something of a pilgrimage to Lagos in June, finding out more about his ancestral heritage.
He’s just one of a number of Arsenal players, past and present, to have a connection to Nigeria, where the Gunners have been voted as the most popular Premier League team.
Land of the Super Eagles
Given their popularity, it’s no surprise that Arsenal are one of the most watched and bet-upon Premier League teams in Nigeria.
All of the top betting sites in Nigeria offer EPL odds and markets, with some firms offering exclusive welcome bonuses that are linked specifically to the Premier League. Nigerians can also bet in-play legally on their smartphones and tablets, meaning that if they miss the kick-off – not hard to do given the one-hour time difference in the country from GMT – they can still show their support for the Gunners.
More than a quarter of all football fans in Nigeria rank Arsenal as their favourite Premier League team, so is it accident or design that so many players from the land of the Super Eagles – or at least with ties there – end up at the Emirates Stadium?
Saka is just one of a number of Arsenal players with Nigerian parents – Folarin Balogun is another, while emerging goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo, who has been retained by Mikel Arteta for the 2023/24 season, is another.
Alex Iwobi joined Arsenal played 100 games for the club, while Semi Ajayi – another former Gunners graduate – is a regular for West Brom and the Nigerian national team. And then there are the legends of yesteryear, too.
Invincible Kanu
There are Arsenal fans out there who have the name of every member of the Invincibles squad of 2003/04 tattooed on their person.
One of those players is Nwankwo Kanu, a player that Gunners’ supporters still dream about to this day. He made nearly 200 appearances for the club, scoring 44 goals and winning two Premier League winner’s medals and a pair of FA Cups in the bargain.
And how about this for international success: Kanu is also an Olympic gold medallist and World Cup winner from 1993. The likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure, Lauren and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have also hailed from the African continent and been highly regarded for their time at the club, with officials behind the scenes also continuing to forge commercial partnerships in Africa – including the current deal with Visit Rwanda.
As much as Africa – and Nigeria in particular – loves Arsenal, the appreciation is very much mutual: Saka and Balogun can follow in the footsteps of Kanu & co and become Gunners legends in the years ahead.