I have visited the country now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo many years ago when it was still referred to as Zaire. During my visit, I had a memorable encounter with a young boy who could only speak English in the context of football player names. Despite our language barrier, he proudly repeated “Gary Lineker” as we conversed by Lake Kivu, shortly after the 1986 World Cup. Our discussion revolved around football, with him demonstrating moves and mentioning players like Maradona and Lineker.
Six years later, the region was deeply affected by the Rwandan genocide, which had repercussions on neighboring countries like Zaire. I often wondered about the fate of the young boy from our football conversation, as it highlighted the universal influence of the sport.
Renowned TV personality Michael Parkinson shared anecdotes of encountering locals in remote locations who only knew English words like “Bobby Charlton” and “Bobby Moore.” The Mirror newspaper has a longstanding connection with the Congo, notably through esteemed reporter Don Wise, who extensively covered the region’s events, including penning a notable piece titled “Britain’s Blunders in the Congo” in 1963.
In 1974, the Mirror featured a front-page story on the historic boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, known as the ‘Rumble in the Jungle,’ which took place in Kinshasa. Congo’s upcoming World Cup final match against England holds significance for the African team, evoking memories of their previous appearance in the 1974 finals in West Germany, where they faced defeats against Scotland, Yugoslavia, and Brazil.
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