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2mo ago

Algeria’s Amoura Apologizes for ‘Lumumba’ Mimic as Team Reaches Out to DRC Superfan

A conciliatory meeting with a personalized jersey followed as Algeria sought to defuse offense.

Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, a DR Congo fan impersonating late Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba | Image: AP
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Overview

  • Adil Boulbina scored in the 119th minute to give Algeria a 1-0 win over DR Congo in Rabat, sending the team to an AFCON quarter-final against Nigeria on Saturday.
  • After the winner, Mohamed Amoura copied the superfan’s raised-arm pose and fell to the turf, drawing broad online criticism for appearing to belittle Patrice Lumumba’s legacy.
  • Amoura later posted an apology, saying he did not understand the tribute’s significance and that he intended no provocation.
  • Algeria officials met Michel Nkuka Mboladinga and presented personalized jerseys, including one printed with “Lumumba,” as a formal gesture of respect.
  • Mboladinga, whose statuesque tributes made him a viral figure of DR Congo’s run, departed the tournament as the Leopards look ahead to a World Cup playoff in March.