Lumumba VEA will be unable to travel to Mexico to support the DR Congo Leopards in the intercontinental play-off final
The iconic Congolese supporter, whose image went viral during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, has been prevented from travelling due to administrative issues.
It is a major loss for the Democratic Republic of Congo’s national team ahead of their match against Jamaica on Tuesday 31 March 2026 in the intercontinental play-off final for the World Cup. The Leopards, who are aiming to return to the competition after 52 years, will unfortunately not be able to count on Lumumba VEA, who supported them so greatly in Morocco. The star supporter has not obtained his visa to travel to Mexico, he announced on Monday 30 March 2026.
It is with deep regret that I announce that I will not, after all, be in Mexico. We were in Kenya, but despite all the efforts made, particularly by the Minister for Sport, His Excellency Didier Budimbu, we were unable to obtain the visas. We therefore returned to Kinshasa with our fellow presenters on the morning of Sunday 29 March.
