Last week, when the Democratic Republic of the Congo As Colombia played in a Group K match at the Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Mexico, a thin man stood motionless in the stands on a small makeshift podium; Right arm raised, red slim-fit blazer, yellow shirt, tie and blue pants – the colors of the national flag.
Congolese fan Michel Kuka Mboladinga drew attention for his pose, which is a tribute to DR Congo’s first democratically elected prime minister, Patrice Lumumba, who was assassinated in 1961.
Forty-nine-year-old Mboladinga, whose nickname is ‘Lumumba Via’ — meaning ‘Lumumba Lives’ — traveled as an official member of the Congolese delegation to the FIFA World Cup at the insistence of current president Felix Tshisekedi.
However, after two matches in Mexico, while Congo progressed to the knockout stages for the first time, his journey was hampered when he was denied a US visa.
Congolese supporter Michel Nkuka Mboladinga stands as a statue of the country’s slain independence hero Patrice Lumumba before the World Cup Group K soccer match between Colombia and Congo in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/AP)
Plans remain to play England in the Round of 16 in Atlanta.
“Motivated by the need to instill patriotism in our “Leopards” team, I wanted to portray Lumumba in the stands. It started with local matches. I read extensively about his struggle. His speeches on dignity inspired me to adopt his fitted jacket, glasses and hairstyle.
The Nehru-Gandhi Connection
Lumumba, Mboladinga said, drew inspiration from Indian leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. “There were connections between Patrice Lumumba and Indian leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru or Mahatma Gandhi.”
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With the former Belgian Congo under Belgian rule until 1960, Lumumba, co-founder of the Mouvement National Congolais (MNC), became the first democratically elected prime minister after successful negotiations with Belgium. However, after a coup d’état, he was captured and soon executed.
DR Congo’s most famous fan, Lubumba was in the stands when they faced Colombia at the World Cup
A national hero 🇨🇩 #DRCongo #worldcup #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/DBCW4hUs5J
— Pan-Africa Football (@PanAfricaFooty) 24 June 2026
A year after Lumumba’s assassination, civil rights activist Malcolm X called him ‘the greatest black man to ever walk the African continent’. Mboladinga shares the sentiment. He has read books written by Lumumba and listened to his speeches.
His speech at the Palace of the Nation in Leopoldville (now Kinshasa) on 30 June 1960, where he said that the history of the Congo will not be written in Brussels or Paris, but here, at home, is an inspiration. It was in my mind from my childhood,” said Mboladinga.
About his US visa status.
“The Congolese ambassador to the US has written to the authorities,” Mboladinga’s manager Hugh Basanga told the paper.
Congolese supporter Michel Nkuka Mboladinga stands next to a statue of the country’s slain independence hero Patrice Lumumba before the World Cup Group K soccer match between Colombia and Congo in Zapopan, near Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, June 23, 2026.
Mboladinga prepares in advance to stand still for 90 minutes of a football game.
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Mboladinga made his first appearance in a DR Congo match wearing the colors of the Congolese flag during the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco last year. “The Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco was an intense spiritual experience. Standing with arms raised in the cheers of the ecstatic fans made me forget my physical fatigue. The feeling of feeling and connecting with the people was absolute. The first match was physically very tough – it was difficult to last the full 90 minutes. I said I was preparing with stretching and mental focus.
He works as an animator at the local football club AS Vita but has become a celebrity. In January, Mboladinga was given an SUV by President Tshisekedi. He has also been on social media campaigns for a Chinese phone maker and a French telecommunications company. Life has changed for the better.
“My family was worried about being tired, but now they are my biggest supporters and lift me up in prayer. I started as a cheerleader for AS Vita, an experience that shaped me. Balancing club duties with travel for Leopards (Congo) requires discipline and work-life balance, but the national cause comes first,” says the fan.
Seeing the rising cases of Ebola in DR Congo, Mboladinga was quarantined upon his arrival in Mexico and missed the country’s opening match against Portugal in Houston. “The matches are intense. During the Ebola quarantine, I thought of our brothers in the east and reflected on the resilience of our people. Football unites us and restores hope. My message to the world: Congo stands tall,” said Mboladinga.