Kevin 🇮🇪 🇪🇺 🇵🇸 🇺🇦

You need to listen to these three young voices about the Garvaghy Road.

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Premium section in Croke Park! This cost 17.20! This is absolutely shocking what is going on here @CrokePark I know we are a captive audience but still

#2026WorldCup participant DR Congo is one of the teams in the tournament. One of the details that sets them apart from many other teams is their symbolic supporter in the stands, Michel Mboladinga. For years, Mboladinga has attended DR Congo matches portraying the anti-imperialist leader Patrice Lumumba. He had already attracted significant attention before the World Cup. However, he was unable to attend the team's first match of the tournament because the United States denied him a visa. Mboladinga was able to take his place in the stands for his country's match against Colombia in Mexico. His presence attracted considerable attention and was covered by international media. However, some media outlets chose to ignore the political message behind his appearance and instead presented him merely as an interesting supporter or a show figure. Yet the Patrice Lumumba that Mboladinga keeps alive in the stands is one of the most important symbols of the struggle against colonialism and imperialism in Africa. Lumumba became the first Prime Minister of the Congo after the country gained independence from Belgium on 30 June 1960. Shortly afterwards, however, a mutiny broke out within the army, Belgium intervened militarily, and the mineral-rich province of Katanga declared secession under the leadership of Moïse Tshombe. Lumumba opposed the partition of the country and viewed Belgium's intervention as a continuation of colonialism. In September 1960, President Joseph Kasa-Vubu attempted to remove him from office. This was followed by Joseph-Désiré Mobutu's coup. Placed under house arrest, Lumumba was captured while trying to reach Stanleyville, where his supporters were based. He was held in Thysville in December 1960 and was transferred to Katanga on 17 January 1961. Being sent to Katanga was effectively a death sentence. Lumumba was taken to Elisabethville together with his two comrades, Maurice Mpolo and Joseph Okito. There they were beaten, tortured and executed by firing squad on the same night. The execution was carried out by a Katangan firing squad under the supervision of Belgian officials and officers. The most horrifying part of the assassination came afterwards. Lumumba and his comrades were initially buried in shallow graves. Later, the graves were reopened, the bodies were dismembered and attempts were made to dissolve them in sulphuric acid. The aim was to prevent Lumumba's grave from becoming a site of resistance and remembrance. In 2002, Belgium accepted “moral responsibility” for its role in Lumumba's killing. In 2022, Lumumba's tooth, the only remaining part of his remains, was returned to his family. A Belgian parliamentary inquiry also found that the United States played a role in organising opposition to Lumumba. The inquiry further revealed that plans for his physical elimination had also been discussed. Despite all the plans and violence of the imperialist powers, Lumumba became one of the most important symbols of anti-imperialism and the struggle for independence both in his own country and across Africa. For this reason, Michel Mboladinga's portrayal of Lumumba in the stands over the years is far more than a simple spectacle within modern football. It is a reflection of historical memory and a message against colonialism, which has left deep scars across Africa.

Only Congo fan in the mid of gigantic Colombian fans sea is singing his anthem. Colombian fans respectfully stay quiet and at the end celebrates with him. This makes you feel better and better as more as you watch it

Our first European Cup win 💫 25/05/77 🗓️

Ensuring deaf and hard-of-hearing fans are part of our iconic matchday moment with @carlsberg's Signs of Unity campaign ❤️

Ederson wanted to get the attention of a little girl, but Milan Škriniar told him that she is deaf. So he used sign language.🥺❤️