Rwandan President Paul Kagame (C) watches the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg match between Arsenal and Bayern Munich at Arsenal Stadium in north London on April 9, 2024.
(Photo by Ian Kington/IKIMAGES/AFP)
- England's soccer frenzy has gripped Africa, sometimes sparking violence.
- Presidents like Rwanda's Paul Kagame will watch the match live from a VIP booth in the UK.
- The English League trophy was touring SA, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
In early April, Arsenal were feeling the heat and cold in the English Premier League (EPL). In Beitbridge, Zimbabwe, a club supporter stabbed a colleague who had mocked Arsenal's success.
Meruleki Ndlovu, 40, appeared in court last week on a charge of attempted murder.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority, he and his colleagues “began discussing football, primarily focusing on the performance of Arsenal Football Club.”
“The disagreement escalated and the suspect allegedly stabbed the complainant in the stomach before fleeing the scene.”
A month earlier, Peter Heike, 22, killed his brother Edmore Heike, 26, after a match between Liverpool and Manchester City ended in a 1-1 draw, also in Zimbabwe. There was another incident.
Edmore tried to stop Peter, who was throwing a stone at Joachim Moyo, 29, after an argument over which team had a chance of winning the match.
Peter then punched Edmore in the head, causing Edmore to die at the scene.
In 2022, Ghanaian parliamentarian Isaac Adongo likened the country's vice-president Mahamudu Bawumia's management of the economy to Manchester United defender Harry Maguire's poor performance.
Last year, he apologized to Maguire, saying he was “an important player for Manchester United at the moment”.
Adongo's apology went viral; Maguire forgave him.“Isaac Adongo MP's apology has been accepted. See you soon at Old Trafford.''
Popularity of EPL
Author David Goldblatt cited a 2011 study by betting company Sportmarkt in his book The Age of Football: The Global Game of the 21st Century.
According to the survey, “72% of Africans were interested in soccer, 55% watched the EPL and 39% followed the England team.”
Goldblatt mentioned then-Botswana President Ian Khama, who wore a Manchester United jersey to watch a match between Botswana and Togo.
Zimbabwe's late president Robert Mugabe once revealed that he was a Chelsea supporter, as was Burundi's late former head of state Pierre Nkurunziza.
Earlier this month, Rwandan President Paul Kagame watched Arsenal from the VIP booth at Emirates Stadium. In the Champions League, they lost 1-0 at home to Bayern Munich.
'Visit Rwanda' is written on the sleeve of Arsenal's shirt.
According to Arsenal, the partnership is to support Rwanda's ambitions to build its tourism industry.
“The country has changed significantly in recent years and Arsenal's huge fan base will bring Rwanda into people's hearts in a new and dynamic way,” the magazine said.
EPL Trophy comes to Southern Africa
EPL 2023-24 season is on the home line. The title race will be between Arsenal and Manchester City, with Liverpool likely to finish third according to most odds.
Because of the attention it garners, the EPL Trophy typically makes stops at various destinations in Southern Africa, much like the FIFA World Cup Trophy does several months before the tournament.
Castrol, a sponsor of the EPL from 2022, brought the trophy to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia for soccer fans to see live.
Also part of the procession was Peter Ndlovu, one of Zimbabwe's most popular former footballers.
On 19 August 1992, Ndlovu made history by becoming the first African footballer to play in the new EPL.
He is also the longest-serving African footballer in England (15 seasons).
His later years were spent in the English Championship, playing for Birmingham City, Huddersfield Town and Sheffield United.
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