Kidiaba on DR Congo bench for World Cup clash with Portugal after political detour | OneFootball

Robert Kidiaba, the former Mazembe goalkeeper who tormented Internacional in 2010, will be on DR Congo’s bench as goalkeeping coach against Portugal in Houston on Wednesday.

According to Globo.com, he gained global fame for his eccentric bounce celebration and for Mazembe’s 2-0 semi-final win over Inter at the 2010 Club World Cup. The image fed the local rivalry, often used by Grêmio fans to tease Inter.

In DR Congo he is an icon, and the dance, known locally as kidibuake, helped make him a star. He won multiple trophies with Mazembe and the African Nations Championship with the national team.

After retiring in 2015, he entered politics, winning a parliamentary seat in 2019 for the National Party for Democracy and Development. He marked that victory with the same dance in formal attire, then failed to win re-election in 2023.

Kidiaba has since returned to football as a goalkeeping coach for Mazembe and the national side. After World Cup qualification he reprised the bounce to celebrate the Leopards’ achievement, and his energy and experience are seen as assets as they meet Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal.

Source: Globo.com