DR Congo’s famous statue superfan has been replaced for England game
Statues are a common sight outside football grounds but there is set to be one in the crowd when England take on DR Congo later today.
Apart from the niche examples at Valencia and Rochdale (that's a good pub quiz answer for you), there certainly aren't many instances of statues taking up seats inside a stadium.
But one man who is trying his best to change that is DR Congo superfan Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, who has gained viral fame after standing still for the entirety of his country's matches.
He has good reason for doing so as well, as he does it in tribute to Patrice Lumumba, the country’s first leader who was assassinated shortly after independence was secured from Belgium, while he also makes gestures to protest the ongoing conflict in the central African country.
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However, in a World Cup that has been plagued by visa issues, his iconic red, yellow and blue suit will be donned by another man, after he was sadly denied a visa to the US for his country's first ever knockout game on football's biggest international stage.
Fortunately, for anyone who was keen to keep an eye out for Mboladinga, who also goes by Lumumba Vea, it seems as if DR Congo have a ready-made replacement in the form of Enock Kabwende.
Kabwende said he was stepping in at the Atalanta Stadium today to make sure that DR Congo had the support it needed in the country's biggest ever football match.
He said: “I want to keep the culture going. [Mboladinga] didn’t come here, but we have to represent our country. Patrice Lumumba representsv liberty, storing power, prosperity and freedom in our country.”
Since Vea's visa request seemingly wasn't processed in time, rather than being rejected, he could make an appearance later in the tournament if the African side are able to pick up a historic win against the Three Lions, although they'd have the small obstacle of facing co-hosts Mexico at the Azteca Stadium in the round of 16 first.
Yvette Kapinga Ngandu, DR Congo’s ambassador to the US, added “If Lumumba Vea cannot travel, then Lumumba Junior will carry the torch in Atlanta. Michel is the real one but junior is smaller and a bit younger; he’s the Generation Z fan."
“Lumumba Vea is here in spirit. He means so much to the nation and now he means so much to other nations. He probably will get a visa when we win against England but won’t get one in time for this match.
“We are beating England. When Congo win, it is going to send a message to the world that DRC is coming of age. The World Cup is strengthening our determination to show to the world the DRC is not just a crisis, not just a disease but a country of people who are extremely resilient.”
The Leopards progressed from their group after earning a draw against Portugal and beating Uzbekistan, meaning they won't be in the mood to roll over for today's 5pm kick off, even if their biggest fan is forced to stand still in front of the television rather than alongside his countrymen in the crowd.
James Moorhouse