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Michel Kuka Mboladinga became famous for his unflappable performances in DR Congo, but a World Cup repeat is unlikely.
Updated on 27 Jun 2026
Democratic Republic of Congo star Michel Kuka Mboladinga will miss their World Cup opener against Uzbekistan on Saturday because he has not been granted a United States visa.
Mboladinga rose to fame at the Africa Cup of Nations final in Morocco at the end of the year.
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He cut off special photo In the stands where he stood motionless at all DR Congo games in memory of his country’s first prime minister, Patrice Lumumba, a respected figure in the country after he was assassinated by the army in 1961.
Mboladinga is very similar to the Lumumba, he wears suits in the colors of his country.
But after helping the Congolese in their last game in Mexico, they will not be in Atlanta for a must-win game as they look to advance to the last 32.
Congo’s ambassador to Washington, DC, Kapinga Yvette Ngandu told Reuters news agency that she hopes to get a visa if DR Congo advances to the World Cup finals.
“I believe he will bring his kind of support to the team,” he said on Saturday.
Nicknamed “Lumumba Vea” because of his honor, Mboladinga raises his arm to take a picture similar to what Lumumba did in his statue in the city of Kinshasa.
In stark contrast to the singing and cheering crowd around him, Mboladinga is still in the game.
His special treatment made him famous all over the world, and after he returned from Morocco in January. he was gifted a four-wheel drive by the Congo government.
Mboladinga was a substitute for DR Congo’s final match against Colombia in Guadalajara, a 1-0 defeat on Tuesday, having arrived late at the World Cup to bring his special support.
Mboladinga’s arrival at the World Cup was delayed due to the restrictions imposed on people from the DRC due to the Ebola epidemic in the country.
The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the DRC has risen to 1,203, including 321 deaths, the government said on Friday.
