Apr 1, 2026, 04:05 AM ETOpen Extended Reactions
The Democratic Republic of Congo's famous living statue "Lumumba Vea" missed seeing his country qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 52 years because he was unable to get a visa in time.
Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, who gained fame during the Africa Cup of Nations for posing as a statue of DRC's assassinated independence hero Patrice Lumumba for the entirety of games, traveled to Kenya and then Ethiopia in a bid to get a visa to attend Tuesday's playoff game against Jamaica in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Despite his efforts, he ran out of time.
"Unfortunately, even in an emergency situation, obtaining an express visa requires at least one day of processing, and even then, only under specific conditions," Nkuka Mboladinga wrote on X.
"Given the importance of the mission – accompanying the Leopards – and the length of the journey to Mexico (18 to 22 hours with one stopover, and up to 30 hours with two), it seemed impossible to arrive on time and properly fulfill this mission," he wrote.
– CAF general secretary resigns amid AFCON final controversy
– Algeria's Mohamed Amoura slammed for mocking 'Lumumba' DRC superfan after AFCON win
"I therefore decided to return to Kinshasa to support our ambassadors in a different way."
Nkuka Mboladinga became a social media star at the Africa Cup of Nations for posing as a statue of Lumumba on a pedestal with his right hand raised and staying entirely still for the team's games.
Lumumba is widely hailed as the nationalist activist who helped to end Belgium's colonial rule over Congo in 1960.
He became the new independent country's first prime minister and was seen as one of Africa's most promising new leaders, but he was killed 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 assassination.
Etienne Davignon, who previously denied any 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.
DRC reached the last 16 of AFCON earlier this year. After being eliminated by Algeria, the Leopards' attention quickly switched to World Cup qualifying.
DRC is the last African nation to qualify for their World Cup, bringing the total number of African countries at this summer's tournament in the USA, Mexico and Canada to 10.
