If you remember our earlier post, you’ll recall the moment an Algerian player mocked a DR Congo fan who stood motionless like the Statue of Liberty during their AFCON Round of 16 clash. After Algeria’s dramatic 1–0 extra-time win, the player copied the fan’s raised-arm pose, then dramatically fell to the ground and the internet exploded.
What looked like football banter quickly turned into a serious debate when fans linked the fan’s pose to Patrice Lumumba, a powerful symbol of Congolese independence and African resistance.
AFCON drama upgraded from sports to history class.
Apology Mode Activated
Fast forward to now. Mohamed Amine Amoura, the Algerian forward involved, has issued a public apology following the backlash.
According to Amoura, he had no idea the gesture carried historical meaning. He explained that his celebration was meant as harmless football banter, not mockery or disrespect. He also expressed respect for DR Congo and even wished them success in their World Cup qualification journey.
Fans Split: Forgiveness vs Side-Eye
As expected, the apology didn’t calm everyone down.
Some fans accepted it, saying footballers make mistakes and that not every celebration should be turned into a cultural tribunal. To them, the matter was over handshake, apology, move on.
Others were not buying it at all. A loud group online insisted the apology felt forced, arguing that any African player should know the historical weight behind such symbolism. For them, ignorance wasn’t an excuse especially on a continental stage like AFCON.
Then there were the neutral football fans who simply asked: “Since when did celebrating a goal require a PhD in African history?”
Final thoughts
To be honest with you guys I don’t really understand what the Congolese fan was doing initially until I searched through my phone in search of the meaning of what he was doing. It was my first time to see someone doing that. Amoura has accepted that he was wrong and sorry 😔 so we should forgive him.
I don’t usually watch AFCON games that much, but this time around it is very interesting, from extra-time heartbreak to history lessons and Instagram apologies, and so on.
AFCON doesn’t just entertain it educates, and agitates.
