Why the Arsenal Spirit is What Nigeria Needs Now -By Zayd Ibn Isah

It was a heroic night for Arsenal supporters as their club upset the odds to defeat Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League by three goals to nothing. For years, Arsenal fans had waited for a night like this, believing that the glory would return, but few imagined it would come against the mighty Real Madrid. For context, Real Madrid are generally considered to be the most successful team in Champions League history, having won the exalted trophy a record 15 times!

On the other hand, Arsenalʼs last game at this level had been in the season of 2009-10 when they faced Barcelona in the quarter-final of this competition and lost. The years of Champions League appearances afterwards have not been kind to the Gunners, with their only quarter-final appearance since then and before this coming last season when they fell against Bayern Munich. You could say that in a way, the stage and tempo was set high for Arsenal to pull off the remarkable.

And of course, much ado was made about the star-studded power of this iteration of Madrid, especially the “double-trouble” threat of Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior, who are famed for utilising blinding speed, insistent pressure and dribbling wizardry to engineer blistering counter attacks. Any other team would have been terrified of that possibility. But not Mikel Arteta’s boys. Rather, the team seemed intent on responding to the charge that a pre-match display from their fans in the stands projected: “MAKE IT HAPPEN.” And boy, did Arsenal make magic!

This magic materialised from the sheer brilliance of Declan Rice, who had never scored from a direct free-kick in his entire professional career, but netted in two absolutely stunning benders behind Thibaut Courtois. And the fact that he did it within 12 minutes of the second-half was enough to make seasoned football fans rub their eyes in disbelief, before giving in to unprecedented heights of delirium. A friend of mine who watched the match at a public viewing centre said that he almost lost his sense of hearing due to the thunderous eruption that Arsenal fans caused upon the second goal. Rice did not just exceed expectations, he literally transcended the night, stamping his name into legend.

And when Mikel Merino overcame doubters to slot in the terrific finish that handed Arsenal a dizzying three-goal lead, the magic of the night was already sealed. Merinoʼs goal was sublime, all thanks to a pass from Myles Lewis-Skelly, an 18-year-old who displayed admirable composure even under the sort of pressure that could have rattled pitch veterans. When a golden opportunity appeared, the young midfielder simply controlled the situation, shut out the noise and located Merino with a simple assist.

For me, this shows that oftentimes, the young ones can be required to rise up to the task of national progress. Rather than giving in to divisive rhetoric and polarising agendas on social media, youths who really love Nigeria should be increasingly focused in seeing how they can fit into plans to rescue Nigeria.

To say we, as a nation, should all be Arsenal fans, united in victory and in defeat—may sound like a strange proposition in a country where football loyalties divide homes and friendships, where Manchester United, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona inspire passionate followings, rivaled only by our religion and ethnicity. But this is more than football. This is about Nigeria and what it means to believe in something bigger than yourself.

Arsenal fans are not ordinary fans. They are believers. They’ve felt the thrill of glory and the sting of disappointment. They’ve experienced the brilliance of the “Invincibles” era, and endured long trophy droughts. Yet they have never stopped supporting. Never stopped hoping. Never stopped showing up. When interviewed after the game, Arteta said, “I’m a big believer that the crowd played something with the energy they put in and it helped us massively to win the game.” He was quite spot-on!

Now imagine if Nigerians could channel that same spirit toward our national affairs. Imagine a nation where we didn’t give up when things went wrong. Where we didn’t abandon our civic responsibilities or retreat into cynicism when the going got tough. Imagine a country where, instead of turning on one another, we stood together as supporters of a common cause, bound by hope and united in purpose.

Arsenal fans understand patience. They understand rebuilding. They trust the process, even when the process tests their resolve. They recognise that greatness isn’t achieved overnight, and they learn to celebrate the small victories: a young player finding form, a tactical shift showing promise, a hard-earned win that hints at better days ahead.

Nigeria, too, is a team in transition. Her project is ongoing, her progress uneven. But like Arsenal, she needs believers. Not blind loyalists, but hopeful patriots, people who will hold her accountable, speak truth to power, and still choose to stay the course. People who will celebrate her future potential, even when present performance falls short of expectations.

What if we took national setbacks the way Arsenal fans take a 1–0 loss at the Emirates, with disappointment, yes, but also with perspective and renewed commitment? What if we approached our democracy like a long football season full of twists, surprises, and hard-won lessons, knowing that the table isn’t final until the last whistle blows?

And speaking of the final whistle, Arsenalʼs battle is far from over as it is. History has shown time and time again that it is never wise to write off the Champions League holders, the 15‑time winners. Madrid has earned a fearsome reputation as the club that has almost made a trademark out of the most astonishing comebacks. Arsenal is quite aware of this. Rice warned that they would not take anything for granted in the second leg next Wednesday. He said, “The manager just said with the individual quality they have it is scary and special things happen at the Bernabéu. We are not going there to defend, we are going to attack and we want to be in the semis.”

This should serve as a reminder to never grow slack or remain complacent, especially after a period of victory or progress. As a nation, we occupy a pivotal moment in history: whether Nigeria will succeed or fail is up to the tireless vigilance which we must supply towards the task of steering her out of stormy waters.

Ultimately, in Arsenal, there is a lesson: that loyalty is forged in struggle, not success. That belief is most powerful when it defies logic. And that unity is not about being perfect, it’s about staying together, even when perfection seems far away.

So yes, we as a nation should all be Arsenal fans, not because they always win, but because they never give up. Because they remind us that hope is a discipline, rebuilding is a process, and unity, even in defeat, is the beginning of greatness.

And maybe, just maybe, if we can bring that kind of spirit to Nigeria, steadfast, patient, and full of belief, we’ll find that our best days, like a long-awaited league title, are still ahead of us.

Zayd Ibn Isah can be reached at lawcadet1@gmail.com