New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani recently took a break from politics to show off his deep understanding of soccer with an African version of the viral “Winner Stays On” challenge.
The mayor, a self-proclaimed Arsenal fan, demonstrated both his knowledge of Arsenal and his ability to blend humor and cultural insight as he guided us through some of Africa’s most iconic players.
From the first round, Mamdani was impressed with his selection. He chose Sadio Mane over Victor Osimhen or Brahim Dias, underscoring his firm grasp of Africa’s current stars.
When Didier Drogba appeared, he acknowledged the rivalry between his favorite club and the Ivorian legend, saying: “As an Arsenal fan, I’m traumatized by him.”
Despite personal allegiances, Mamdani respected Drogba’s achievements and advanced him beyond Samuel Eto’o and Michael Essien.
Combining humor and soccer expertise
This challenge became even more interesting when Mohamed Salah entered the bracket.
“Salah is the only one on a halal truck named after him,” Mamdani joked, deftly mixing cultural awareness with soccer commentary.
His loyalty to Arsenal briefly affected him when he chose Nwankwo Kanu over Abedi Pele, but he ultimately recognized the talent of Jay-Jay Okocha, recalling his classic nickname: “He’s so good that I picked him twice”.
He remained consistent with his selections, easily beating out John Obi Mikel and Yaya Toure and declaring George Weah the greatest African footballer of all time before making his final decision.
The former Ballon d’Or winner earned recognition based on his historical impact rather than recent popularity or fan trends.
Mamdani later elaborated further on his preference for football in a conversation with Pharaoh Talks. He named Thierry Henry as his GOAT, but sided with Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo in the modern debate.
He also highlighted Bukayo Saka as Arsenal’s top winger, backed William Saliba in defence, and acknowledged the contributions of Kolo Toure and Sol Campbell.
This appearance confirmed that Mamdani is more than just a fan. His deep understanding of soccer history, combined with his humor and honest opinions, made this challenge a compelling show of his knowledge and personality.
Fans quickly noticed that he approached the sport with the same passion and attention to detail as many professional analysts, proving that soccer expertise can come from unexpected places.
