Five-hour bus parade in Kinshasa demonstrates Democratic Republic of Congo passion for football
Scenes. Definitely scenes. Limbs aplenty, too. As you’d expect from an entire nation celebrating the end of a 52-year absence from the World Cup.
Listening to Rocky Bushiri describe his experience in Kinshasa at the tail end of the international break, as the Democratic Republic of Congo squad jetted from their play-off win over Jamaica in Mexico to take part in a national holiday, bus parade and presidential reception, it’s easy to be swept up in the big man’s enthusiasm. Even possible to forgive him for missing the weekend win over Kilmarnock, given the difficulties involved in getting back to Edinburgh.
Hibs, after all, know that they’ll benefit from having the central defender travel to this summer’s tournament in Canada, Mexico and the USA. Just as Bushiri understands that his club have played a huge role in helping him maintain his status as a senior international; he signed a new contract in the summer, having briefly explored the joys of free agency, with this goal specifically in mind.
The former Belgium Under-21 international, born in the DRC but raised in Europe, is rightly proud of his African roots. He has also been made to understand exactly how much returning to the finals – for the first time since the country was still called Zaire, back in 1974 – means to the people back home.
“It was amazing but busy and full of energy,” he said of the celebrations that began immediately after touchdown of the team flight back from Guadalajara. “We did a bus parade for four or five hours.
“Can you imagine with the sun and music non-stop? Traffic, people around. It's nice.
“It's difficult to explain if you've never been to Africa because the roads are different. I'm not talking about the traffic in Stockbridge, I'm talking about proper traffic!
“It's all nice. Later when you look back with the boys, the memories will stay and create different bonds.
“I'm telling you, there were people walking from the airport to where we had to meet the president. All the way walking with us, throwing bottles of water, saying: ‘Come on, don't get tired. We just go.’
“Can you imagine? That's the kind of pressure you also feel when you play and the responsibility you have. They will walk with you on the bus from there to there for five hours.
President hosted reception
“I don't know the exact amount (of supporters), but I have lots of videos on my phone that I haven't posted yet. But it's a lot, it's a lot.
“Yes, it was a big reception. I met the president before, after the AFCON. That was not my first time. For a few players it was the first time.
“It was a big reception. There was a reception outside first, where everyone was allowed. And then a private reception for just players, staff members and the federation.”
Cristiano Ronaldo date in diary
Some confusion arose, not least back at Easter Road and East Mains, over when exactly Bushiri was expected back after the play-off in Mexico. Winning that game definitely changed a few travel plans.
Asked if stopping off in Kinshasa had always been on the itinerary for a group of players drawn almost exclusively from European clubs, Bushiri said: “No, I think it's something you can expect, especially when you've not been for 52 years. You know something like that will probably follow, like the president calls you. But I don't think it was planned, planned.”
The DRC will now face Portugal, Colombia and Uzbekistan this summer, Bushiri grinning as he admitted: “Yes, there ar op players in every team that we will be facing. Also Portugal, there was an ex-manager of Belgium that I know, Roberto Martinez.
“And of Cristiano Ronaldo, etc. But yes, big games.”
Bushiri, grandson of a former Congolese ambassador to Belgium, recalled how working under all-time Chelsea and France great Claude Makalele – then manager at Eupen – had given him an early insight into the demands of international football, explaining: “First of all, I played in the youth with Belgium, but playing as a senior international player is something extra in your career. You create memories and it's an experience where later you will be able to talk about when you retire and finish it.
“It puts something different, something you can't explain because you are with boys from everywhere. When I say everywhere, I mean playing in different competitions, different countries.
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“You all come together for always a short period of time to defend a country and you always go back. You stay connected to it.
“That's also one of the reasons - staying connected to Africa. You are here in Europe, you have different facilities, football is played in a different way.
“Everyone brings a bit of experience from his league to the national team to create something. When you look back, that's the beauty of it.
“I remember I had Claude Makele as manager in my early stage of my career. That was always something he helped me with.
“He told me you need to be international, you will see it's more games in a season. You will need to handle this, need to separate the pressure of defending a country and the pressure of defending a club. All those types of stuff.
“I have also the right people around me. The club here has always helped me, been hard on me and pushed me so I could manage to do both.
“You don't go to the national team if you don't perform at your club. And of course the plan was having the right people around me to still help me progress, so that I am able to go to the national team.
“So the manager here plays a big role in it, his staff, sporting director, and Ian Gordon, the owner. So it's a project behind a project actually.
“There is the Hibs project, but there is also the national team project behind it. So everyone can benefit from me going to the World Cup.”
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