DR Congo’s iconic superfan has been replaced for their World Cup knockout game against England on Wednesday.
Michel Nkuka Mboladinga wears bright red, yellow and blue suits and stands motionless during DR Congo’s matches in a tribute to Patrice Lumumba, the nation’s first leader who was assassinated in 1961.
Mboladinga is nicknamed ‘Lumumba Vea’ as he raises his arm in a pose which is similar to the statue of Lumumba in DR Congo’s capital Kinshasa.
For DR Congo’s 1-0 defeat to Colombia in Mexico, Mboladinga was in the stands but he has been denied entry to the United States for his nation’s round of 32 fixture against England.
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Mboladinga has been denied a visa due to the United States’ restrictions for travellers from DR Congo due to the Ebola outbreak in the country.
The number of confirmed Ebola cases in DR Congo has increased to 1,203, including 321 deaths, government data showed last Friday.
Mboladinga has been replaced by Enock Kabwende, who will wear a dark suit embellished with leopard print and will strike similar poses during the game.
Kabwende said: ‘I want to keep the culture going. [Mboladinga] didn’t come here, but we have to represent our country. Patrice Lumumba represents liberty, storing power, prosperity and freedom in our country.’
Yvette Kapinga Ngandu, DR Congo’s ambassador to the US, said: ‘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.’
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