During the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, one supporter became a viral global sensation. As the Democratic Republic of Congo took to the pitch, football fan Michel Kuka Mboladinga would climb onto a barrier with the help of fellow supporters. Dressed in a yellow shirt, red tie and light blue blazer, or variations of those colours (as seen above) reflecting the Congolese flag, he would raise a clenched fist before remaining perfectly motionless for the entire match. This was his silent recreation of one the most famous images of the country’s first Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba. Some supporters have remarked on how even his facial features resemble that of Lumumba. Only after the final whistle would he break character, often overcome with emotion. Although his appearance went viral around the world in 2025, Mboladinga has performed the tribute since 2013.
Photo: The Great Lakes Eye, Yahoo Sports
Patrice Lumumba served as the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s first Prime Minister following independence from Belgium in 1960. A leading voice of Pan-Africanism and Congolese self-determination, he became an enduring symbol of African independence.1 His government lasted only a matter of months before he was overthrown during the Congo Crisis. A mutiny in the national army, the secession of the mineral-rich province of Katanga, and Cold War intervention by foreign powers was the root cause of this crisis, plunging the new nation into years of political instability and violence. In January 1961, he was assassinated by Katangan authorities with the complicity of Belgian officials. During the Cold War, the United States also worked to remove him from power, and declassified documents show that the CIA explored assassination plots, although historians do not conclude that the CIA directly carried out his killing. It is also debated about whether the UK was also involved or not. 2
One moment during the Democratic Republic of Congod vs Uzbekistan match during the World Cup, Mboladinga briefly broke his pose. He was seen covering his mouth with one hand and pointing the fingers of his other hand towards his head like a gun. Many social media users and news accounts interpreted the gesture as him raising awareness for the ongoing conflict in eastern Congo and the perceived silence surrounding it. 3 No public sources confirm this however.
Even so, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo has experienced a major resurgence in violence since late 2021. Following the re-emergence of the M23 rebel group, the conflict has displaced millions of people, caused thousands of deaths and fuelled one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. Allegations of Rwandan support for M23 have further heightened regional tensions, while many commenters argue the conflict has received far less international media attention than the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, despite its devastating human toll.
The television broadcast quickly cut away from Mboladinga’s gesture, possibly reflecting FIFA’s long-standing policy against political demonstrations during matches. Later, reports emerged that Mboladinga’s visa to enter the United States had been revoked, preventing him from attending the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Round of 32 match against England, which they lost 2–1.
Regardless of the intention behind his gesture, Mboladinga’s tribute has introduced many viewers to Patrice Lumumba. As clips continue to circulate widely across social media, they have sparked renewed interest in one of the most significant figures of post-colonial Africa.
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