England face DR Congo in the World Cup round of 32 on Wednesday afternoon, a tie secured after the African nation, formerly known as Zaire, beat Uzbekistan. The match evokes memories of a journalist's encounter in Congo years ago that highlighted football's global reach.
A conversation on the shores of Lake Kivu
Andy Lines, a journalist, visited Congo when it was still called Zaire, two years after the 1986 World Cup. On the shore of Lake Kivu, he met a young lad fishing. The boy's only knowledge of English was the names of football players. He proudly repeated, “Gary Lineker, Gary Lineker, Gary Lineker” as they tried to converse. Using his arm to mimic punching the ball into the net, he laughed and said “Maradona,” but Lineker was the name he was most proud of knowing.
Football's enduring impact amid tragedy
Just six years later, the region was devastated by the Rwandan genocide, which heavily impacted surrounding countries including Zaire. Lines often wondered if the boy survived. The conversation stayed with him because it illustrated the power of football around the world. Similarly, TV legend Michael Parkinson recounted how locals inside the Arctic Circle knew only the English words “Bobby Charlton,” “Bobby Moore,” and “Gordon Banks.”
The Daily Mirror's long links with Congo
The Daily Mirror has a long history with Congo. One of its greatest reporters, Don Wise, who died aged 80 in 1998, spent weeks reporting from the country. In 1963, he wrote a piece titled “Britain's Blunders in the Congo” and visited six times to provide eyewitness accounts. In 1974, the Mirror's front page covered the “Rumble in the Jungle,” where Muhammad Ali beat George Foreman in the capital Kinshasa. Foreman later spoke to Lines about the fight during his visit to the UK.
DR Congo's World Cup return
Now Congo plays England in the World Cup final, a dream come true for the African side. It brings back memories of their only other appearance in the finals in West Germany in 1974, where they lost three games to Scotland, Yugoslavia, and Brazil.
