Amidst what’s sure to be a exuberant crowd at tonight’s World Cup game between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Colombia, one attendee will remain perfectly still.
Michel Kuka Mboladinga has become something of a Congolese team member himself, thanks to his unique approach to fandom. Dubbed “Lumumba Vea,” or “Lumumba Lives,” Mboladinga mimics a statue of the late revolutionary and inaugural Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba that stands in the capital city of Kinshasa.
Lumumba was a key figure in the Congo’s fight for independence from Belgium, which the country achieved in 1960. Though he was elected their first prime minister, Lumumba was removed several months later by the Belgium- and United States-backed military leader Joseph-Désiré Mobutu. In early 1961, Lumumba at the hands of the Belgian government.
Though Lumumba favored traditional dark suits, Mboladinga’s colorful clothing is an intentional diversion from his muse. He often sports the colors of the country’s flag. At the Congo vs. Botswana match at the Africa Cup of Nations in December 2025, Mboladinga wore a spirited yellow striped blazer over a blue-and-white gingham shirt with a vibrant blue satin tie, his pocket square featuring the flag’s sky blue, sunny yellow, and bright red. For a later match against Algeria in January 2026, he paired a more muted blue blazer with a butter yellow shirt and cherry red trousers.