Turns out NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani is not just a diehard Gooner but also possesses deep knowledge of African football players and a certain English club.
As the 2025 AFCON reached its conclusion with Senegal winning 1-0 over host Morocco in a chaotic extra time thriller, the 34 year old mayor showed his football expertise again.
This time it was a CBS Sports host that tested Mamdani via a “Winner Stays On: AFCON Edition” Q & A session.
The host led Mamdani, who wore an Arsenal training kit inside his blazer, through rapid fire choices between African legends.
Then Mamdani went on to prove that he hasn’t just lived football as an Arsenal supporter.
Cantor opened with the choice between Sadio Mane versus Victor Osimhen, and Mamdani selected Mane, the captain of the current Senegalese squad.
When Cantor followed with Mane against Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz, Mamdani stuck with Mane.
Then came the Chelsea nightmare.
Cantor asked Sadio Mane or Didier Drogba, and Mamdani didn’t hesitate – “As an Arsenal fan I was traumatized by Didier Drogba, so Didier Drogba.”
The confession resonates with every Gunners supporter who endured Drogba’s 13 goals against Arsenal across his career, including the 2007 League Cup final winner that sealed silverware at Millennium Stadium.
Cantor pressed forward with Samuel Eto’o versus Drogba, and Mamdani maintained his selection.
When Michael Essien entered the bracket, Mamdani acknowledged the painful memories flooding back: “They’ve both scored incredible goals against Arsenal, I’d have to go with… I think still Didier Drogba.”
Essien’s thunderbolt from 25 yards at Stamford Bridge in December 2006, a shot that flew past Jens Lehmann into the top corner, remains one of the most spectacular goals in London derby history.
Drogba survived the round. But Mo Salah ended Drogba’s run.
Cantor posed the choice and Mamdani switched immediately – “Mo Salah. Mo Salah’s the only one that has a halal truck named after him in Astoria, so I’m gonna go Mo Salah.”
The reference points to the B&B halal cart on Steinway Street featuring Salah’s image, a neighborhood fixture serving Astoria’s Egyptian community since the Liverpool star’s ascent began in 2017.
Mamdani represented Astoria as state assemblyman from 2021 until his mayoral inauguration on January 1, 2026, giving him intimate knowledge of the area’s cultural landmarks.
When Cantor followed with Riyad Mahrez, Mamdani praised the Algerian winger who won the 2016 Premier League title with Leicester City and collected four league titles at Manchester City, but held firm: “Mo Salah, though Riyad Mahrez is… I mean, he’s an incredible player.”
Then Cantor invoked Arsenal royalty.
Nwankwo Kanu versus Mo Salah forced Mamdani into tribal loyalty – “I mean, as an Arsenal fan, I have to go Kanu and the corner flag.”
The reference celebrates Kanu’s legendary October 1999 hat trick against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, particularly the audacious third goal where he squeezed the ball past Ed de Goey from an impossible angle near the corner flag.
That 15 minute super sub performance, turning a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 victory in the final moments, remains one of the Premier League’s greatest comebacks.
Kanu scored all three goals between the 75th and 90th minutes, a feat that cemented his status among Arsenal’s most beloved players.
Cantor then pitted the Nigerian against Abedi Pele, the Ghanaian maestro who won three consecutive African Player of the Year awards from 1991 to 1993, and Mamdani chose Kanu.
But Jay-Jay Okocha proved irresistible.
Cantor asked Kanu or Okocha, and Mamdani made the switch – “Jay-Jay Okocha. So nice they named him twice, and the amazing advert that he just did for AFCON is still on my mind.”
When Cantor asked about Mikel John Obi, the defensive midfielder who won 11 major trophies with Chelsea including the 2012 Champions League, Mamdani stayed loyal to Okocha.
Yaya Toure presented a sterner test.
The Ivorian powerhouse won three Premier League titles with Manchester City, two Champions League trophies with Barcelona, and was named African Player of the Year four consecutive times from 2011 to 2014.
Cantor posed the question and Mamdani delivered perhaps his most revealing answer – “Okay, Yaya Toure might have won everything but Jay-Jay Okocha is the only one that played for Bolton Wanderers, so shout out Jay-Jay Okocha.”
The reference to Bolton was quite surprising but also expected if you are a fan of Okocha.
Okocha made 124 Premier League appearances for Bolton from 2002 to 2006, becoming club legend during Sam Allardyce’s tenure and helping them finish eighth in 2004-05.
That a New York City mayor knows this level of English football history, mentioning a mid table Lancashire club whose heyday ended years ago, reveals someone who genuinely watched the sport rather than memorizing Wikipedia pages for political points.
Cantor closed with the ultimate choice. George Weah, the 1995 Ballon d’Or winner who remains the only African to claim football’s highest individual honor, faced Okocha.
Mamdani made the call: “Has to be George Weah because he’s the father of a New Yorker who grew up on Staten Island, shout out Timothy Weah.”
The USMNT winger was born in Brooklyn in February 2000 before his family moved through Valley Stream and eventually Staten Island during his childhood.
Timothy now plays for Juventus, having scored crucial goals for the United States including in the 2022 World Cup against Wales.
Safe to say this is the best we’ve ever seen a politician talk about football.
Elite ball knowledge @NYCMayor 💯 pic.twitter.com/Iet27Dm6mM
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) January 20, 2026
