‘No holiday for Arsenal fans’ — Botswana Government deny calling for festivities to celebrate Gunners’ triumph

Following Arsenal’s monumental 2025/26 Premier League title win, the Botswana government was forced to debunk a viral internet hoax claiming a public holiday had been declared to celebrate the victory.

The Gunners clinched their first league crown since 2004 after Manchester City dropped points against Bournemouth, sparking wild scenes across the globe and a bit of administrative chaos in Africa.

Shortly after the title was confirmed, an officially styled hoax document began circulating across social media platforms.

The fake release claimed that Botswana's President, Duma Boko, had declared Wednesday a public holiday for the country's passionate "Gooners" to celebrate the historic triumph, urging employers to grant their staff the day off.

However, the Botswana Government moved swiftly to squash the rumours, posting an emphatic all-caps message across its official channels: "NO, THERE IS NO HOLIDAY FOR ARSENAL FANS," while highlighting the fraudulent text with red markings.

The rapid debunking sparked widespread laughter and a wave of memes from rival fans across Africa, leaving Batswana supporters to celebrate responsibly while at work.

While fans in Botswana reported for duty as usual, the atmosphere in North London was pure unadulterated ecstasy.

Manager Mikel Arteta has finally guided the club back to the pinnacle of English football after three consecutive runner-up finishes, securing his first significant piece of silverware since winning the FA Cup five years ago.

The Arsenal squad and coaching staff initially gathered at the club's training ground to watch the Manchester City match, erupting into chants of "Campeones, Campeones, Ole Ole Ole!" when the final whistle blew.

The celebrations quickly spilled out into the streets, culminating in an all-night party that stretched into Wednesday morning.

Hundreds of jubilant fans congregated outside the Emirates Stadium alongside the players to sing, dance, and take historic pictures until 5 a.m., cementing a night 22 years in the making.