I once visited the country now known as Congo, previously called Zaire, where I had a memorable encounter with a young boy who could only recite the names of football players in English. Two years post the 1986 World Cup, we conversed by Lake Kivu while he fished, and I paused during my cross-country journey in East Africa. At 23, I engaged in a peculiar football chat with the boy, around 14 or 15 years old, who mimicked scoring a goal with his arm, shouting “Maradona,” but proudly exclaimed “Gary Lineker” as his most cherished player.
Just six years later, the region faced devastation due to the Rwandan genocide, impacting neighboring countries like Zaire. I often wondered if the boy survived, underscoring the universal influence of football.
Television icon Michael Parkinson shared anecdotes of encountering locals in the Arctic Circle who only knew English words like “Bobby Charlton,” “Bobby Moore,” and “Gordon Banks.”
The historical ties between the Daily Mirror and Congo run deep. Don Wise, a renowned reporter in the Mirror’s 123-year history, spent significant time reporting from Congo, notably highlighting Britain’s missteps in the country in 1963. Wise, who passed away at 80 in 1998, provided firsthand accounts to readers during his six visits to the country.
In 1974, the Mirror featured a front-page story on the iconic boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, known as the ‘Rumble in the Jungle,’ where Ali emerged victorious in Kinshasa, the capital of Congo. Foreman later discussed the event during a UK visit.
Congo’s upcoming World Cup final against England marks a historic moment for the African team, evoking memories of their sole previous appearance in the 1974 finals in West Germany, where they faced defeats against Scotland, Yugoslavia, and Brazil.
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