DR Congo Superfan Kuka Muladinga Breaks Down in Tears After Algeria Defeat
- Algeria advanced to the AFCON quarter-finals thanks to Adil Boulbina’s dramatic extra-time winner against DR Congo
- DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi made crucial saves before being beaten late in the match
- Famous DR Congo superfan Kuka Muladinga was left in tears as Algeria celebrated the heartbreaking victory
DR Congo superfan Kuka Muladinga was left in tears after his side’s heartbreaking defeat to Algeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Adil Boulbina’s goal deep into extra time proved decisive in a fiercely contested encounter, sending Algeria into the AFCON quarter-finals at DR Congo’s expense.
Source: Getty Images
After 90 minutes ended goalless, the match moved into extra time, with both sides pushing desperately to avoid the lottery of a penalty shootout.
Algeria came closest to breaking the deadlock. Fares Chaibi first saw a low effort pushed away by DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, and moments later Baghdad Bounedjah burst into the box, cut inside and aimed for the bottom-left corner, only for Mpasi to produce another crucial save.
The breakthrough finally arrived just one minute from the end of extra time. Substitute Boulbina collected the ball on the edge of the area, shifted inside and unleashed a thunderous strike that crashed into the net off the underside of the crossbar, per beIN Sports.
For a player who had logged just 13 minutes of football at the tournament before this match, it was a truly unforgettable moment.
Kuka Muladinga in tears after DR Congo defeat
The late goal shattered the hearts of DR Congo supporters inside the stadium, none more so than the famous superfan Kuka Muladinga.
Known for his colourful attire and distinctive ritual of standing motionless during matches, gazing skyward with his right arm raised and palm open, Muladinga has become a media sensation.
Source: Twitter
On Tuesday, he was accompanied by a delegation of several hundred Congolese supporters whose trip to Morocco was funded by the DR Congo government, per Yahoo Sports.
However, in a video shared on social media after the match, Muladinga was seen in tears as he stood watching the Algerian players celebrate their dramatic victory.
Kuka's pose is inspired by that of a statue of Congolese independence leader and former prime minister Patrice Lumumba, which stands in Kinshasa.
Lumumba briefly served as the country's first prime minister in 1960 and was assassinated the following year by a combination of separatists from the region of Katanga and Belgian mercenaries.
His body was dissolved in acid and never found, although it was discovered decades later that remains, including a tooth, had been kept in Belgium.
DR Congo superfan spotted partying
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that DR Congo’s iconic superfan Kuka Mboladinga has swapped his trademark motionless statue pose for full-on dance mode in a hilarious viral video from an AFCON 2025 celebration in Morocco.
Mboladinga first captured global attention after standing completely still for the entirety of DR Congo matches, mimicking the iconic statue of Patrice Lumumba in Kinshasa.
Source: YEN.com.gh
