On the one hand, three football players of national teams, and who are involved in cases of rape against women, causing strong reactions from feminist organizations. On the other hand, the claim of the coach of the representative group of the Ivory Coast that the former world champion with Germany, Bastian Schweinsteiger, reproduces racist stereotypes against the African teams. And in the middle the living representation of the legendary Congolese politician Patrice Lumumba, to remind of the colonial legacy bequeathed to the countries of the “Mother Continent”.
Criminal record
As far as the rape cases are concerned, the case that stands out is that of international midfielder Thomas Partey, who is facing seven charges of rape and one of sexual abuse by the English authorities, from four different women. All the incidents are alleged to have happened between 2020 and 2022, when he was playing for Arsenal. Partey himself has pleaded not guilty and his trial is scheduled for June 8, 2027, in a London court.
The already checkered record of the 32-year-old – currently playing for Spain’s Villarreal – was compounded by his decision to falsely state in his visa application to Canadian authorities that he had no pending legal issues, which ruled him out of Ghana’s opening match against Panama. As if all this was not enough, this was followed by the refusal of England international, Jen Spence, to shake hands with the Ghanaian, during the customary pre-match handshake between the two countries. The embarrassment of the moment was quickly justified by the coach of the Ghanaians, Carlos Queiroz, who wanted to defend his player saying that the team “refuses to follow those who want to raise dust and bring politics into the game”. After all, before the start of the event, he had defended Partey’s inclusion in the final grid, invoking the presumption of innocence.
Things are not better for Morocco, as a few days ago it became known that the captain of the team and star of the European champions, Paris Saint-Germain, Ashraf Hakimi, will be brought to trial on the charge of rape. The case concerns a complaint filed in February 2023 by a 24-year-old woman who claimed that the international defender had raped her at his residence in the Val de Marne district, southeast of Paris. Hakimi categorically denies the allegations and stated the following, through a post on X: “Justice looked me in the eyes and said: ‘If you weren’t known, there would never have been a trial.’ I’ve been waiting for this trial since day one. And now I’m looking forward to it. At last, I will be able to speak.”
Reactions
The presence of the two athletes in the event provoked the angry reaction of feminist collectives and organizations to deal with gender and domestic violence, who spoke of a culture of immunity regarding male athletes, while criticizing the French club for the support it actually offers to the Moroccan player. Pan-European organizations such as My Voice, My Choice spoke of an exemption status in the sport, stating that in any other profession the defendants would have entered a status of availability.
“Once again proving that men can be rapists, abuse women and harm their bodies, and still get on with their lives unscathed. It leaves one question, where are the consequences?’ . And Times of London columnist Alison Rudd pointedly contrasts the less-than-warm welcome US authorities have accorded to other actors, such as Somali referee Omar Artan or Iran’s soccer players: “It seems a bit random who US immigration authorities might deny entry to, but so far they seem quite happy to let the Parteys and Parteys go about their business. Hakimi”.
Germany and Lumumba
Two more incidents from this year’s World Cup, of a completely different nature, bring Africa to the fore for strictly political reasons.
The first concerns Ivory Coast coach Emers Faye’s strong reaction to Bastian Schweinsteiger’s comments about African football. The German former Bayern Munich midfielder and 2014 World Cup winner with Germany described Ivory Coast’s presence at the World Cup in rather strange terms. “African football is a bit wild, a bit unorthodox and perhaps not as focused on tactics. We must be ready for the unexpected,” Schweinsteiger had said, causing the frustration of the Ivorian technician. “When you know football as well as he does, it’s strange to express yourself in a way that could be described as racist, to put it mildly. Schweinsteiger should know that African football is not just about physical strength. It’s very technical, very tactical. “All I can hope is that these comments were unfortunate and do not reflect what he truly believes,” Fae said.
The German rejected the accusations, stressing that he is referring to football and not to people, and adding that he did not intend to offend anyone, while well-known commentators in the German football-loving public such as Patrick Schnitzler and Philip Avounu stressed that although Schweinsteiger is not a racist, he is exposed to subconscious patterns that draw their origins to the period of European colonialism.
Speaking of colonialism, we come to the second case, that of the Congolese fan Michel Nkouka Bolandinga, known worldwide as the “living statue” of Patrice Lumumba, because of his decision to watch the matches of his country’s national team disguised as the statue of the first prime minister of the independent Democratic Republic of Congo.
The famous sports fan was absent from his team’s opener against Portugal due to restrictions related to the Ebola virus, while earlier in the year he also missed the play-off with Jamaica after failing to secure a visa in time. However, he did feature in Congo’s 1-0 defeat to Colombia in one of the highlights of the tournament.
It is recalled that Patrice Lumumba was assassinated in 1961, just a few months after the country’s independence from Belgium and the assumption of power, which turned him into a national hero and a symbol of resistance against colonialism.
Lumumba. From the African stands to the world stage. For the Leopards. 🇨🇩
— CAF – FR (@caf_online_FR)
Bolandinga went viral at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations as he watched the matches disguised as Lumumba’s statue, located in the capital Kinshasa. The president of the Congolese Football Federation has repeatedly called him a “national symbol”, revealing that they had to convince Congolese President Felix Tshisekendi to include Bolandinga in the national World Cup squad.
The 50-year-old sports fan himself has explained in an earlier interview with the French News Agency (AFP) that he wants to pay tribute to Lumumba by acting as a symbol of national memory. “Although it is very difficult physically and exhausting mentally, I hope to instill strength in the team and give the players energy through this method,” he revealed in the same interview, revealing that he turned down advertising contracts, while speaking he was overjoyed that the world is learning the story of the African leader.
