Gael Kakuta of the DR Congo takes a penalty against Botswana in their Group 'D' match in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations at the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat, Morocco on December 30, 2025.
How many DR Congo players would be aware that some of the movements in Morocco may have mirrored that of the country’s former dictator, the late Mobutu Sese Seko?
Mobutu ruled DR Congo, then known as Zaire, from 1965 until his overthrow in May 1997.
He fled to Morocco, where he lived in exile until his death from prostate cancer four months later. He was buried at a Christian cemetery in Rabat.
During his Moroccan exile, Mobutu split his time between Rabat, the North African nation’s capital, and Tangier, a major port city in northwestern Morocco that is a gateway to Europe.
Former President of Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) Mobutu Sese Seko.
In the group stages, DR Congo have travelled between Rabat and Tangier, mirroring Mobutu’s movement.
DR Congo’s first match, a 1-0 win over Benin, was played at Rabat’s 20,000-capacity Al Medina Stadium. The stadium is located two kilometres from Mobutu’s mausoleum.
Their second match, a 1-1 draw against Senegal, was played at the Grande Stade de Tangier, which is located just nine kilometres from a luxurious hotel Mobutu used to stay in.
After that, DR Congo returned to Al Medina Stadium, where they defeated Botswana in their final group game.
DR Congo will play Algeria today in an eagerly anticipated round of 16 match at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, which is located seven kilometres from Mobutu’s mausoleum.
Yet, despite Mobutu’s memory stalking DR Congo in Morocco, their fans have been silent in their remembrance of the Leopard, as Mobutu was nicknamed.
Gael Kakuta of the DR Congo takes a penalty against Botswana in their Group 'D' match in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations at the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat, Morocco on December 30, 2025.
Still, on social media, particularly X, some Congolese fans have attributed their team’s good run thus far to the Congolese community in Rabat, whose stay dates back to the Mobutu exile days.
In a book titled In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz: Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu’s Congo, British author Michela Wrong makes references to members of Mobutu’s family settling in Rabat after his death, hence establishing a strong Congolese diaspora in the Moroccan capital.
Honour Mobutu’s memory
“There are many who went to study there and live there. The government made a plane available to take fans to Morocco. Maybe you didn’t know, our late president, Mobutu Sese Seko, is buried in Morocco. Morocco is like our second home,” a Congolese by the user name @StDixBorrito on X responded to questions about the strong presence of Congolese people at DR Congo matches in Morocco.
While the Congolese honour Mobutu’s memory in Morocco with silence in the stands, one of their fans has captured the imagination of the world with his tribute to the nation’s first Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba, who was assassinated on January 17, 1961.
Former Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo Patrice Lumumba.
The fan, known as Michel Kuka Mboladinga, has become famous for standing still with his right hand raised high to the sky from kick-off to final whistle of DR Congo matches. His posture mimics the statue of Patrice Lumumba, which was erected in Kinshasa in 2002.
Mboladinga has since been nicknamed “Lumumba”. In an interview with SRNT News, he described his act as a “spectacle” inspired by Lumumba’s statue.
“I concentrate on my posture. Even when DR Congo scores, I stay still. This is my way of inspiring the team to do more and fight for victory,” said Mboladinga.
He revealed that he trains for his act.
Mboladinga has even copied Lumumba’s iconic hairstyle and dressing.
At the stadium, Mboladinga performs his act while standing on a podium draped with the Congolese flag. Around him, his fellow fans sing and dance in spellbinding choreography that advertises one of DR Congo’s most cherished exports – their music.
As DR Congo fans treat Morocco as home away from home, they do so hoping their team will go one and lift the Afcon trophy for the third time in their history.
