Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Congo's famous living statue finally made his World Cup debut.
Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, who gained fame during the Africa Cup of Nations for posing as a statue of Congo's assassinated independence leader Patrice Lumumba for the entirety of games, attended Congo's match against Colombia after missing its opener against Portugal because of Ebola quarantine requirements.
Right-back Daniel Munoz emerged on Tuesday as the unexpected hero of Colombia's national team, scoring a dramatic late goal that secured victory and qualification for the Coffee Growers in the World Cup Round of 32.
While all eyes were on Bayern Munich winger Luis Diaz and Minnesota United midfielder James Rodriguez, it was Munoz who stepped up to give Colombia a 1-0 win over DR Congo, adding to his goal in Colombia's victory against Uzbekistan.
The Crystal Palace player initially put the ball in DR Congo's net in the eighth minute, but after a VAR review, Italian referee Maurizio Mariani ruled him offside and disallowed the goal.
Nearly 70 minutes passed before a superb pass from Juan Fernando Quintero reached Munoz who finally broke through the resolute defense put up by goalkeeper Lionnel Mpasi.
After being named Player of the Match, Munoz sought to temper the well-deserved accolades.
"Just because I scored the goal doesn't mean I'm the star. We're all the stars. We all earned these three points. This is a family, and here, the star is Colombia," Munoz said after the match.
"The effort of the entire team deserves recognition. Nothing is easy; nobody is getting anything for free," he said.
Lumumba Vea, as the sharply dressed supporter is known for his resemblance to the slain leader, was at his seat about an hour before the game at Estadio Akron. He wore a bright red jacket and tie, yellow shirt and blue pants. When the game began, he stood motionless on a pedestal behind the Congo bench with his right arm raised.
He did not want to be interview but nodded and smiled when asked if he was happy to have finally made it to the World Cup.
Congo played Portugal to a 1-1 draw last week in Houston.
Nkuka Mboladinga also missed Congo's World Cup playoff match against Jamaica earlier this year - when his nation secured a return to the tournament after 52 years - because he was unable to get a visa in time. He had traveled to Kenya and then Ethiopia in a bid to get a visa for the game, which was also played in Guadalajara.
Nkuka Mboladinga became a social media sensation at the Africa Cup for posing as a statue of Lumumba on a pedestal with his right hand raised and standing still throughout games.
Lumumba was an activist who helped to end Belgium's colonial rule over Congo in 1960. He became the newly independent country's first prime minister and was seen as one of Africa's most promising leaders, but he was assassinated within a year during a struggle against a Belgian-backed secessionist movement in the mineral-rich Katanga region.
A Belgian court in March ordered a 93-year-old former diplomat to stand trial for the slaying. Etienne Davignon, who previously denied wrongdoing, is the last living among 10 Belgians suspected of involvement in the killing and has been charged with "participation in war crimes" for his role in the "unlawful detention and transfer" of Lumumba.
