A national hero assassinated over sixty years ago made an appearance in the stands of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), being held in Morocco until January 18. The slender silhouette of Patrice Lumumba, a figure of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) independence who was assassinated in 1961, reappears at every match of the Leopards.
Standing, right arm outstretched, hand open towards the pitch, this legendary figure remains still for ninety minutes – and sometimes longer, in case of extra time – like a freeze-frame, seemingly watching over his national team. He promises to stand tall once again on Tuesday afternoon, January 6, in the Moulay Al-Hassan Stadium in Rabat, to accompany the Congolese team against Algeria in the round of 16.
Same build, same haircut, same chiseled face: the copy is so faithful to the original it’s disorienting. This “double” is Michel Kuka Mboladinga, a supporter from Kinshasa who has chosen to bring this Pan-African icon back to life, for the duration of a match. “I look a lot like him,” he says in his soft voice, lying on the bed in his hotel room in Casablanca.