African Football and the Long Shadow of Empire

Once a force for decolonization and African pride, the continent's crowning jewel of football, the AFCON, is increasingly beholden to local autocrats and European interests.

Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, a well-known DR Congo superfan, paying homage to Patrice Lumumba, the former Congolese Prime Minister and independence hero assassinated in 1961.When Algerian striker Mohamed Amoura scored a blistering winner in the final seconds of extra time at the 2025 African Cup of Nations (AFCON), sending the Democratic Republic of Congo out of the tournament, he added salt to the Congolese wound with a gesture made towards its fans in the stadium.

After scoring the goal, Amoura celebrated by mimicking a stiff, upright pose—a move that has been interpreted as mocking Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, a well-known DR Congo superfan known for standing motionless at matches. His pose is an homage to Patrice Lumumba, the former Congolese Prime Minister and independence hero assassinated in 1961.

This post is a guest piece by Karim Zidan, who runs my favourite sports newsletter, Sports Politika. I warmly encourage you to subscribe and support Karim’s work, as he continues to reveal the …