It’s pretty safe to assume that not many Premier League defenders are fluent in Lingala.
It’s also probably pretty safe to assume that you, you lovely reader, are not even aware of the language but fear not, we’ve done the Googlin’ for you.
Lingala is a Bantu language spoken throughout the northwestern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a large part of the Republic of the Congo, as well as to some degree in Angola and the Central African Republic. It has over 10 million speakers.
Thanks Google.
Two of those 10 million speakers are playing in the same Premier League team and are taking advantage of the fact that their communication cannot be understood by defenders trying to get a read on their next move.
Yannick Bolasie was thrilled to learn that new teammate Romelu Lukaku was able to converse in Lingala and the tricky winger has revealed that’s how they speak on the pitch because it gives them a bit of an edge over opposition players who can’t discern what they are planning.
Bolasie, signed from Crystal Palace in the summer, is a DR Congo international while Lukaku’s parents are also Congolese so he grew up hearing the rare language.
“We are both very proud of our heritage,” Bolasie said, via the Liverpool Echo.
“It really helps when we talk in our language, Lingala, and I know his cousin, who plays with me for DR Congo.
“We speak Lingala on the pitch.
“There aren’t too many defenders in the league who speak it, so that gives us a little bit of an advantage.
“It’s particularly useful because it’s quick.”
So that’s how they’ve managed to become the most prolific partnership in the Premier League this season.
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