Photo Credit: Mohamed Amoura/Instagram
Algeria forward Mohamed Amoura has issued an apology following the wave of criticism that trailed his celebration during Algeria’s narrow win over the Democratic Republic of Congo at AFCON 2025. What began as a late, tense football moment quickly spilled into a wider conversation about symbolism, history and respect.
Algeria edged DR Congo 1–0 after extra time in Rabat, with Adil Boulbina scoring the decisive goal in the 119th minute to send the 2019 champions through to the quarter-finals, where they will now face Nigeria. As the final whistle went, Amoura turned towards the stands and mimicked a familiar pose before dropping to the turf — a gesture many viewers immediately linked to DR Congo’s well-known superfan, Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, popularly called “Lumumba”.
Mboladinga has become one of the most talked-about figures at AFCON 2025 in Morocco, known for standing motionless throughout DR Congo matches with one hand raised. The pose is a tribute to Patrice Lumumba, the country’s first prime minister and a key Pan-African figure who was assassinated in 1961 following Congo’s independence from Belgium. For many Congolese fans, the image carries deep political and historical meaning.
Amoura’s actions were quickly criticised online, with many interpreting them as mockery not just of a fan, but of what Lumumba represents to Congo and Africa’s wider independence struggle. As the backlash grew, the Wolfsburg striker took to social media to explain himself and apologise.
“The match against Congo was a big game, very intense, with a lot of tension and emotion on the pitch,” Amoura wrote. “I want to clarify one thing: at that moment, I was not aware of what the person or the symbol in the stands represented. I simply wanted to banter, in a good-natured spirit, with no bad intentions or desire to provoke anyone.
“I respect Congo and its team. Honestly, I wish them the best and hope they qualify for the World Cup.
“If my attitude could have been misunderstood, I sincerely regret it, because that was absolutely not my intention.
“I remain focused on the pitch and on representing my country with pride.”
Beyond the apology, reports suggest that the Algerian Football Federation has also stepped in to calm tensions. The federation is said to have extended an official invitation to Mboladinga with a VVIP delegation reportedly dispatched to Casablanca to formally receive him.
