Pascal Kerong'A

When Michael learned that I might be the only Congolese fan amongst a sea of English fans at the World Cup watch spot, he immediately said:
“I’ll come watch with you wherever you’re going.”

And he did…

When Congo scored their first and only goal, I lost it because for us, this is more than just a game. It’s one of the only things that brings the whole country together and puts a smile on so many Congolese faces.

Even though they lost 2–1, to us they won. Just qualifying for this World Cup after 52 years was already enough.

And they came… and they went further than anyone expected, reaching the knockout stage for the first time in their history.

So losing to England, where modern football was standardized, by one goal still felt like a big win.

I’m glad the world got to see how joyful my people are, even when there’s so little to be joyful about.

Thank you again Michael for your friendship.

I’ll be back

You’ve done nothing wrong…

And they still don’t like you.

Keep moving forward.

I’ll be back.