Iconic DR Congo fan to miss England clash after being denied entry into US

Wait 5 sec.

DR Congo’s viral fan Michel Nkuka Mboladinga will not be in attendance for their match against England.The iconic supporter, who is nicknamed ‘Lumumba Vea’ has been denied a visa to enter the USA for the World Cup last 32 clash.Viral DR Congo fan Michel Nkuka Mboladinga will miss their World Cup clash with EnglandAFPMboladinga went viral during the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year for standing motionless in the stands with his arm raised throughout each of DR Congo’s matches.England face the African side in Atlanta at 5pm on Wednesday, live on talkSPORT.Visa deniedHowever, Mboladinga will be unable to recreate his famous pose in the stands at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.He has been left stranded in Mexico after being denied a visa due to issues related to the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo.The ambassador to the USA has revealed that this is down to a delay in receiving a visa and not due to Mboladinga being banned from the country.Lumumba Vea had previously attended DR Congo’s group stage defeat to Colombia in Guadalajara on June 23.However, he was not able to enter the USA for their fixtures against Portugal and Uzbekistan.Instead, fellow fan Enock Kabwende will instead take his place in the crowd.It comes after he was nicknamed ‘Lumumba Jr’ for adopting a similar pose during the win over Uzbekistan in Atlanta on Saturday.DR Congo’s ambassador to the USA explained: “If Lumumba Vea cannot travel, then Lumumba Junior will carry the torch in Atlanta.Mboladinga has been denied a visa to enter the USA for the match in AtlantaAFP“Michel is the real one but junior is smaller and a bit younger; he’s the Generation Z fan.”Who is Lumumba Vea?Mboladinga is famous for standing completely motionless with one arm raised for the entire 90 minutes during DR Congo matches.He has been performing his pose at fixtures since 2013 whilst donning the colours of the country’s flag.His iconic outfit consists of a bright red jacket and tie, yellow shirt and trousers.After 13 years of performing at matches, Mboladinga went viral during the Africa Cup of Nations in December and January.TV cameras regularly picked up on him during DR Congo’s run to the round of 16.Fellow impersonator ‘Lumumba Jr’ will instead pose in the crowd during the last 32 clashGettyMboladinga’s pose pays tribute to the country’s first prime minister Patrice Lumumba by mimicking his statue in the capital Kinshasa.Lumumba was a Congolese independence leader before being assassinated in 1961.