After their defeat to South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) Leopards returned to Kinshasa on Monday, February 12, 2024, following the conclusion of the 34th edition of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Upon their arrival in the Congolese capital, the national team was welcomed by President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo.
In his speech, President Tshisekedi commended the Leopards for their performance in the tournament. He praised them for their commitment and effort. “You were outstanding in every aspect, in every way,” said Félix Antoine Tshisekedi.
Notably, the DRC did not take part in the 33rd edition of the AFCON held in Cameroon. Against all odds, the team secured a fourth-place finish in this 34th edition. For the President, this achievement was remarkable.
“I am confident that you will continue to perform wonders because my greatest satisfaction is seeing that our second team, if we may call it that, is equally valuable and in no way inferior to our first team,” the President concluded. However, what captured the leader’s attention most was the Leopards of Congo’s action during the semi-final match against Ivory Coast, aiming to protest against the Rwandan aggression in the eastern DRC.
According to Félix Tshisekedi, it was a significant and meaningful act.
“What stands out to me the most is your gesture during the national anthem. Even far from home, you remained united with your compatriots. This is something the Congolese will never forget and should not forget,” the Congolese president emphasized as a sign of acknowledgment.
“This act has awakened the international community, which was becoming oblivious to the barbaric and unjust aggression by Rwanda that we are facing. An aggression aimed at humiliating our country,” he highlighted.
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