Many Africans have long compared Arsene Wenger’s 22-year reign as the coach of Arsenal to an African president clinging to power.
So it’s no surprise that Mr Wenger’s announcement today that he will leave the club at the end of the season has sparked yet more comments and jokes on social media about African leaders.
One woman shared this photo on Twitter calling herself a survivor of both Wenger and Zimbabwe’s former President Robert Mugabe, who was forced from power after 37 years:
“Speak it into existence”
I am a survivor of the Mugabe & Wenger eras ✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/ib5y2L5ryg
— Wadzanai 🐉 (@Mama__Africa) April 20, 2018
Another person rebooted a popular hashtag from last week – #MalemaChallenge.
Zimbabwe without Robert Mugabe,
Arsenal without Arsene Wenger,
Cuba without a Castro…
The Commonwealth without the Queen,Mama, is this the SIGNAL? #JuliusMalemaChallenge pic.twitter.com/3DlrEEEIsn
— Albert KhatruGuma 🎲 (@Albert_Kats) April 20, 2018
The hashtag was inspired by the speech firebrand South African politician Julius Malema gave at the funeral of anti-apartheid campaigner Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, during which he asked the deceased icon to give him “a signal” instructing him how to treat his enemies.
With Mugabe being forced from office and Wenger resigning, another person wondered if Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni was next in line.
If Mugabe did it
Wenger did it
Museveni u can did it
Simanyi if he is hearing someone please wake him up pic.twitter.com/xomlNIC0ow— GENO ERIC 🇺🇬 🇺🇬 (@genoeric1) April 20, 2018
The 73-year-old leader has been in power for 31 years and recently signed a law allowing him to run for president again in 2021. BBC News