"Is Valery Leontiev training them?" Social media laughs and admires Congolese football team's leopard print suits

The appearance of the DR Congo national team footballers at the World Cup caused a real stir online. Their extravagant suits with a large spotted print became the main topic of discussion.

Social media users were divided into several camps: some genuinely admired the colorfulness, others felt sorry for the poor animals, and a third group competed in humor.

The leopard print element reminded most commentators of a cult 1980s Hollywood comedy:

"I've seen this before... uhm... "Coming to America" with Eddie Murphy?"

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"They even have their own Kirkorov there"

"Is Valery Leontiev training them?"

Many commentators were puzzled by the shape of the leopard print insert, which, due to its specific cut, evoked piquant associations.

"Damn, it somehow looks like leopard print thongs over the shoulder."

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"Leopard print briefs should be worn OVER the jacket!"

"So that's where all the leopard print bikini bottoms from the beaches went..."

Nevertheless, many highly praised the style: "Only they can wear leopard print with such chic, it suits them incredibly well", "These guys have style, I like it".

Others sincerely hope that no real predators were harmed for the sake of beautiful shots.

"Everything is super, of course, but because of this tradition, real animals are actually endangered. It's a shame to destroy an entire species for 15 seconds of showing off and a couple of social media posts."

"I really hope that the skins on them are artificial, just imitation..."

Tribute to History

The vibrant image for the footballers was designed by Alvin Junior Mac, the artistic director of the JMAKxPARIS brand. The designer was inspired by the Zaire national team (as DR Congo was formerly called) from 1974. At that time, the country debuted at the World Cup for the first time, albeit unsuccessfully — losing all group matches with a total score of 0:14.

"Elegance is a way to wear your history. This work is a tribute to the "Leopards" of 1974 and the spirit of Congolese traditions," explained the creator of the suits.

The leopard is the main symbol of the country, even featured on the national coat of arms. The print also adorns the national team's kit from the Umbro brand. The love for the spotted predator has deep roots.

Historically, local rulers wore leopard skins to demonstrate their power and nobility.

The famous leopard print hat was almost never taken off by former dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled the country for over 30 years.

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For a long time, legends existed among local residents about shapeshifters who turned into leopards at night, and even secret sects operated accordingly.

This is DR Congo's second World Cup in history.

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