Former Algeria international Djamel Benlamri expressed solidarity with DR Congo fan Michel Nkuka Mboladinga after the controversial gesture made by his compatriot Mohamed El Amine Amoura, explaining that the striker did not understand the historical symbolism of the supporter’s message.
Amoura had faced a backlash for mocking the fan after Algeria’s dramatic 1–0 extra‑time win over DR Congo in the AFCON 2025 round of 16.
In an Instagram story, Amoura wrote: “The match against Congo was very tense and full of emotions. I did not know what the person or the symbol on his shirt represented. What I did was just light sporting banter, with a child’s spirit, with no bad intention or desire to provoke anyone.” He added that he fully respects Congo and its national team, wished them World Cup qualification and sincerely apologized if his action was misunderstood.
Benlamri, meanwhile, sent an emotional message to the Congolese fan, praising his tears as proof of sincere love for his country and stressing that Algerians, as a people who suffered colonization, would never mock a freedom fighter or despise a brotherly people’s feelings.
He underlined that Mbuladenga’s famous salute, inspired by the Patrice Lumumba statue in Kinshasa, is a tribute to the assassinated independence leader, and insisted Amoura was unaware of its depth, calling for unity and rejecting voices of discord between African nations.
