DR Congo Superfan ‘Patrice Lumumba’ Receives Multi-Million Gift After Rejecting Big Offer at AFCON 2025

DR Congo viral fan ‘Patrice Lumumba’ real name Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, may have painfully watched his team exit the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations but his country has soothed his pain.

Mboladinga has become an internet sensation after going viral for his motionless tribute to DR Congo’s independence hero Patrice Lumumba during the Leopards’ matches at AFCON 2025.

Standing motionless like a statue throughout the games, Mboladinga paid tribute to Lumumba, showing remarkable dedication, pride and loyalty to his nation before his country was knocked out at the Round of 16 by Algeria.

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Following his team’s exit, a disappointed Mboladinga had a chance to stay on at the tournament when he received an offer of 2,000 euro (Ksh300,000) per match to continue his act of patriotism but he did not deem it fit when his country was no longer competing, opting to turn it down.

However, having returned home, his efforts have been recognised in a big way after the government, through the Sports Minister, gifted him with a new luxury car.

As per Africa Top Sports, ‘Lumumba’ received a new Jeep as a token of appreciation for flying the country’s flag in the stands and acting as a great ambassador for the Central African nation.

“I can’t even leave my room when I’m at the hotel because there’s such a buzz outside,” Mboladinga had said of his new-found fame before his country’s loss to Algeria. “It’s beyond me. I can’t even walk. Everyone asks me for photos, interviews, and videos. Sometimes it makes me feel good, it’s a source of pride for me.”

“It’s a message, it also gives an image of our country, everywhere I go in Morocco. It’s the pride of our country, it’s Congo that wins,” he added.

Jeeps can range between Ksh4 million and Ksh6 million depending on the year of manufacture in Kenya and the 49-year-old will now be cruising in one after using sports to express historical and national identity for his country.