Illunga Mwepu

Zaire's disastrous World Cup campaign has come to be defined by one man and one memorable moment: defender Illunga Mwepu and THAT free-kick. In the closing minutes of Zaire's final game against Brazil, the reigning World Champions were awarded a free-kick some thirty yards from the African's goal. In Zaire's previous two games they had shown little idea of how to line up a defensive wall, with players frequently encroaching before the kick had been taken. Against Brazil, however, Mwepu took this one step further by breaking from the defensive ranks at the sound of the referee's whistle and, to the amazement of everyone, hoofing the ball downfield. He was then booked for his actions and responded by bowing to the applauding crowd!
What appeared to be Mwepu's lack of knowledge of the basic rules of the game was seen as symbolic of the Zairian team's naivety and that of African football in general. The incident has since appeared on numerous football outtake DVDs, was voted the fourth most memorable World Cup moment ever in a 2002 poll of Britain's Channel Four viewer and, most remarkably, sixth place in poll conducted by Brazil's leading sports channel in 2006. The incident also featured in 1998 on the Phoenix from the Flames section of Frank Skinner and David Baddiel's ITV show, Fantasy World Cup, in which famous moments from football history are re-created. The match programme from the Zaire vs Brazil game has also become a collector's item, fetching as much as £700 at auction.

Illunga Mwepu recreates the free-kick

However, the truth behind Mwepu's indiscretion reveals a more sinister side to Zairian football, politics and everyday life at this time. "Before the Yugoslavia match (which Zaire lost 0-9) we learnt that we were not going to be paid, so (initially) we refused to play," recalls Mwepu. "After the match, he (former Zaire leader President Mobutu)sent his guards to threaten us. They closed the hotel to all journalists and said that if we lost by more than three goals to Brazil, none of us would be able to return home." In the light of this information, coupled with the fact that Brazil led 3-0 at the time of the free-kick, Mwepu's actions are completely understandable. "I panicked and kicked the ball away before he (Rivelino) had taken it," he reveals. "Most of the Brazil players, and the crowd too, thought it was hilarious. I shouted, 'You bastards!' at them because they didn't understand the pressure we were under."
Another explanation that has been put forward for Mwepu's actions is that the Zairians had been taught by their Belgian counterparts (the former Congo had gained independence from Belgium in 1960) that all free-kicks became a 'free-ball' if not taken within three seconds of the referee blowing their whistle. Indeed, this is thought to have been a common misconception throughout African football at this time.
Ironically, Mwepu shouldn't have been playing in the game at all. In the previous match against Yugoslavia, Zaire's star striker, Mulamba Ndaye, had been sent off for kicking the referee and was subsequently suspended for the Brazil encounter. However, it was actually Mwepu who committed the offence. I have one small reservation (about Ndaye's sending off)," confirmed Zaire's Yugoslav coach, Blagoje Vidinic. "It wasn't number 13 who kicked the referee, but number two, Illunga Mwepu."
Speaking to the BBC in 2002, Mwepu was still understandably upset at the treatment he and his teammates received from his country's authorities: "I am proud, and still am, to have represented Black and Central Africa at the World Cup. But we had the erroneous belief that we would return home from the World Cup as millionaires......Look at me now. I'm living like a tramp. When we arrived home, our contracts were torn up and coaching roles never happened. I heard it said that Mobutu believed we'd set back the perception of African football 20 years......If I had my time again, I'd have worked harder at becoming a farmer."

Pre-1974

In the mid-1960s, Congo's President Mobutu was convinced that the only way to improve the nation's football team and to help bring some unity to his country was to recall the Belgicains- the players who had moved to Belgium (from whom Congo had gained independence in 1960) to play professionally.
Mobutu took his inspiration from Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah, whose popularity had soared since his country's African Nations Cup wins in 1963 and 1965. Indeed, in 1966 Nkrumah brought his team to the Congo and easily beat Mobutu's Leopards, 3-0. Suitably impressed, Mobutu hired a foreign coach, the Hungarian Ferenc Csanadi, to train his team and even invited Pele's Santos team for a tour. These moves provided instant success when in 1968, Congo won their first African Nations Cup, ironically beating Ghana 1-0 in the final. However, their entry for the 1970 World Cup was rejected by FIFA and they failed to retain their African Nations Cup in 1972 (now playing as Zaire, the country's name changing in 1971), finishing a disappointing fourth after an epic 4-3 semi-final defeat to Mali.
By now, the Yugoslav Blagoje Vidinic was Zaire's coach, and in 1974 he led the Leopards to their greatest ever year: African Nations Cup Winners and a place in the World Cup Finals in West Germany.

The draw

Although the draw for the 1974 World Cup Finals was made on 5th January 1974, Zaire didn't know whether they would be playing Yugoslavia or Spain until February of that year. This was because the two teams had finished level in their qualification group on both points and goal difference, needing a play-off in Frankfurt, West Germany, which Yugoslavia won 1-0.



Pre-tournament predictions

"They had fine individualists, had done well in Africa, but it was already clear from their performance in the recent African Nations Cup and from a mediocre tour of Europe that little was to be expected of them." (Journalist Brian Glanville in his book, The Story of the World Cup)

"European football is almost a total mystery to the Leopards, and Vidinic knows that his big problem is to prepare his exuberant players to meet the sophisticated tactics they'll face in the finals." (Jack Rollin in the Radio Times World Cup Special, 1974)

"In my opinion, Zaire will prove to be the most talented of the three mystery 'underdog' teams." (BBC pundit Jimmy Hill. His two other 'mystery' teams were Haiti and Australia, both also making their first World Cup Finals appearances)

Leopards run Scotland close

14th June 1974. Zaire vs Scotland. Westfalenstadion, Dortmund. Kick off: 1930
Attendance: 25,000

Zaire 0 Scotland 2 (Lorimer 26', Jordan 34')

Teams: Zaire: Kazadi, Mwepu, Mukombo, Buhanga, Lobilo, Kilasu, Mana, Kidumu (captain) (sub: Kibonge 78'), Ndaye, Maku (sub: Kembo 64'), Kakoko

Scotland:: Harvey, Jardine, McGrain, Bremner, Holton, Blackley, Dalglish (sub: Hutchinson 75'), Jordan, Hay, Lorimer, Law.
Coach: Willie Ormond.

Yellow cards: Kidumu (Zaire) 38', Holton (Scotland) 48'
Referee: Gerhard Schulenburg (Germany), Assistant referees: Tony Boskovic (Australia), Hans-Joachim Weyland (East Germany)

Pre-match comments:

"If we cannot beat Zaire then we should pack up our bags and go home." (Scotland coach, Willie Ormond)

"Zaire must be taken seriously. They got there on merit, just like everybody else." (Scotland striker, Willie Morgan, is a little more cautious)

"We won't make the mistake of underestimating Zaire because we have been caught that way before. We won't relax either because goals are important all the time. It's only against the English that we like to show our superiority in terms of flashiness. Against the Africans we will play the British way, hustling and bustling." (Scotland captain, Billy Bremner)

The Match

Zaire received all the plaudits on making their World Cup debut, not only for restricting the Scots to a two-goal margin, but also for their own exuberant, fast-flowing style of attacking football. Captain Mantantu Kidumu and fellow midfielder Mayanga Maku both wasted great goal-scoring opportunities for the Africans, whilst centre-half Boba Lobilo was outstanding in defence. Scotland's two goals both came in the first half, the second (by Joe Jordan) being blatantly offside.

Had it not been for the performances of Lobilo, goalkeeper Kazadi and the woodwork, Zaire would undoubtedly have suffered a much heavier defeat. The defensive frailties which were so cruelly exposed in the following match were apparent, particularly when the Zairians tried to defend free-kicks. However, the team had done their continent proud, announcing the true arrival of black African football onto the world stage.

"Let's face it, we underestimated them. For fifteen minutes I wondered what the hell was going on, where the devil had this lot come from, playing stuff like that!" (Scotland's centre-half, Jim Holton)

"I have no regrets about slowing down the game in the final ten minutes against the Africans. If the game was played again I'd do exactly the same thing. In the circumstances, it was the right decision, I'm sure. It was hot and sticky, which favoured Zaire, whose substitutes gave their team a kiss of life. If we had opened up any more, Zaire may have pinched a goal." (Billy Bremner) "We were weak in aerial duels and that, basically, was the difference." (Zaire midfielder, Adelard Mayanaga) "Zaire were an eye-opener. Their movements are snaky, they have a low centre of gravity, and their control is on the ground, with the accent on attack, as fresh as a summer breeze on a lovely summer night." (British journalist, Geoffrey Green)

Zaire's World Cup falls apart

18th June 1974. Yugoslavia vs Zaire. Parkstadion. Gelsenkirchen. Kick off:
Attendance: 20,000

Yugoslavia 9 (Bajevic 8',30'81, Dzajic 14', Surjak 18', Katalinski 22', Bogicevic 35', Oblak 61', Petkovic 65' Zaire 0

Teams: Yugoslavia:Maric, Buljan, Hadziabdic, Katalinski, Bogicevic, Petkovic, Oblak, Surjak, Acimovic, Dzajic, Bajevic.
Coach: Milan Miljanic

Zaire: Kazadi (sub: Tubilandu 20'), Mwepu, Mukombo, Buhanga, Lobilo, Kilasu, Manu, Kembo, Kidumu (captain), Ndaye, Kakoko (sub: Maku 45')

Yellow cards: Hadziabdic (Yugoslavia) 55' Red card: Ndaye (Zaire) 22'

Referee: Omar Delgado (Colombia), Assistant referees: Vicente Llobregat (Venezuala), Ramon Barreto (Uruguay)

"The management had made off with our match bonuses, and we'd threatened not to play the game. Frankly we'd lost our morale. We could easily have let in 20 goals." (Zaire's star striker, Mulamba Ndaye)

Zaire's goalkeeper, Mwamba Kazadi, was substituted after just twenty minutes with the Leopards already three goals down. The first job of his replacement, Dimi Tubilandu, was to pick the ball out of the net yet again, literally seconds after coming on. To compound Zaire's misery, Ndaye was sent off for protesting against this goal, which looked suspiciously offside. Yugoslavia led 6-0 at half-time and had ample opportunities in the second-half to reach double figures.

"I'm not a psychologist, but at half-time I thought the coach was a bit distracted. He had changed the line-up and it was turning into our worst game. He had taken off Kazadi, who was a good goalkeeper, and put in Tubilandu, who was 5ft 4 in tall against these six-foot-plus Yugoslav forwards. The poor goalkeeper! We were static on the field, the defenders were nervous, our marking wasn't up to standard, our clearances were poor, we hadn't had any clear chances. We had really shown our amateurism. But you also have to remember that Yugoslavia were one of the best teams of the era." (Midfielder Adelyard Mayanga Maku, who came on for Zaire as a second-half substitute having surprisingly been dropped from the starting line-up)



Zaire vs Yugoslavia 1974 World Cup (match highlights)

"The cause of African football (has been) set back a great deal by tonight. Their case to have the number of African nations in the World Cup increased can hardly have been strengthened by this performance." (ITV match commentator, Gerald Sinstadt)

Leopards restore some pride

22nd June 1974, Parkstadion, Gelsenkirchen. Kick off: 1600. Attendance: 35,000

Brazil 3 (Jairzinho 12', Rivelino 66', Valdomiro 79') Zaire 0

Teams: Zaire:Kazadi, Mwepu, Mukombo, Buhanga (replaced Kidumu as captain, 62'), Lobilo, Tshinabu (sub:Kilasu 79'), Manu, Kidumu (captain) (Kembo 62'), Maku, Kibonge, Ntumba

Brazil:Leao, Luis Pereira, Marinho Peres, Piazza (Mirandinha 60'), Marinho Chagas, Jairzinho, Leivinha (Valdomiro 11'), Rivelino, Nelinho, Carpegiani, Edu.

Coach: Mario Zagallo.

Yellow cards: Mirandinha (Brazil) 77', Mwepu (Zaire) 85'

Referee: Nicolai Rainea (Romania, Assistant referees: Aurelio Angonese (Italy)
Klaus Ohmsen (East Germany)

In stark contrast to the Yugoslavia game, Zaire defended superbly throughout with some determined tackling and spectacular goal-line clearances frustrating the Brazilians, who needed a three-goal win to progress to the next stage. The third goal eventually came after a terrible mistake by Kazadi and then, with five minutes remaining, Brazil were awarding a free-kick twenty-five yards from the Zaire goal.

Zaire vs Brazil 1974 World Cup (match highlights)

"Now that's a booking. That must be a booking for Mwepu." (ITV match commentator, Gerald Sinstadt) (see Ilunga Mwepu post for further explanation)

"What on earth did he do that for? A bizarre moment of African ignorance." (BBC match commentator, John Motson, who at this point didn't know the real reasons behind Mwepu's actions)

"Vidinic told us to go out and enjoy it, that it would be his last game with us, and that Brazil played the same style as we did so we had a chance to show something. We didn't play badly, actually. Better, I think, than we had against Scotland." (Zaire midfielder Adelard Mayanga Maku, who had been restored to the starting line-up)


"Perhaps it would have been better not to play Zaire first. Perhaps we softened them up for Yugoslavia and Brazil. Who knows?" (Scotland captain Billy Bremner reflects on his team's elimination, on goal difference, from the World Cup)

Little Plastic Men

Proof that the Zaire team had really made it onto the world stage lay in the fact that Subbuteo table-top football game manufacturers, Waddingtons, brought out a Leopards team (catalogue no: 176) especially for the 1974 finals.

The World Stage

President Mobutu was obviously intent on promoting his country as much as possible during the tournament. Amongst the pitch-side advertising hoardings in West Germany for worldwide products such as Martini, Phillips and Ferguson, could be seen slogans such as 'Go to Zaire' and 'Zaire - Peace.' Bedecked in the green of the nation's flag along with it's flaming torch symbol, the adverts are clearly visible in the TV coverage of Zaire's World Cup games against Yugoslavia and Brazil.

Unwanted Record

Zaire's 0-9 defeat to Yugoslavia equalled the worst in World Cup Finals history (The Korean Republic lost by the same score to Hungary in 1954). However, in 1982 El Salvador conceded the highest number of goals in a game, losing 1-10 to......Hungary!

"The Zairian performance in West Germany is the worst by any African team at the World Cup so far, and the European press loved it. Zaire seemed to live up to the crude European stereotypes. Journalists spread stories that the players had taken monkeys with them to eat during the tournament, and that they had the tactical grasp of savages." (Simon Kuper in his book, Football against the enemy 1994)

The Captain

In a series entitled, 'captains,' Shoot magazine interviewed all sixteen World Cup skippers in the build-up to the 1974 tournament. Zaire's Mantantu Kidumu was the sixth to be put on the spot in the April 6th, 1974 edition.

SHOOT: It's a safe bet, Kidumu, that most people don't really know where Zaire is, let alone anything about their soccer team. Can you tell us something about both?

KIDUMU: With pleasure. Zaire was formerly Congo-Kinshasa, which was the republic formed out of the biggest part of the old Belgian Congo. It's on the West side of Africa - with just one outlet to the sea around the River Congo. But you'll find it easily enough on a map of Africa, for Zaire is not too far short of one thousand miles square. I'm told that your own country could be fitted into the same space ten times.

SHOOT: So the population must be pretty big too, Kidumu....?

KIDUMU: Around 25 million at a guess, not much you would think for a country the size of ours, but then the terrain is very unfriendly, and for many poor people it is still a struggle to find work and get proper medical treatment outside of the big towns.

SHOOT: Does this mean that very few people find time for football?

KIDUMU: On the contrary, it is our big national sport, and everyone is interested in it in one way or another. The kids, of course, play barefooted, and their basic skills these days are really remarkable. They lack tactical ability - that goes without saying - but as raw material for a good coach, they are second to none.

SHOOT: And talking of good coaches, your National Team Manager, Blagoje Vidinic, is reputedly one of the best.

KIDUMU: He certainly is. When Mr Vidinic joined us, some three years ago, the idea of actually getting to the World Cup Finals never entered our heads. I suppose we looked on it as a remote possibility, having done well in the African Nations Cup. But Morocco were favourites again in most people's books.

SHOOT: Did Vidinic change your tactics very much when he arrived?

KIDUMU: I think he was rather horrified by what he saw, by our lack of proper training and method on the field. We had some fine players, but they simply didn't know what to do to make the best use of their skills. It was not really our fault, I might add: We had seen only our fellow Africans play, and we did not appreciate that the standards and styles were all that different elsewhere. Mr Vidinic, of course, had coached all over the world, so he knew from his experience what was good and what was bad.

SHOOT: Did the Zaire F.A have any reservations about appointing a foreigner, and one who had worked for Morocco's team previously?

KIDUMU: No. Why should they? The object was to get our team up to scratch in order to qualify for the World Cup Finals, and it didn't matter if the man was Yugoslavian, Greek or Chinese so long as he could do the job. And we knew Mr Vidinic could, because he'd already proved it with Morocco in Mexico, where they did very well. They got a draw with Bulgaria, and were leading against West Germany until the last few minutes of the game.

SHOOT: How easy was qualifying this time?

KIDUMU: It wasn't easy because of the enormous travelling involved, and the hostile reception one usually got. You see, fans are so partisan in Africa, they tend to get carried away with their enthusiasm, and some dangerous situations occur at times. We had a very tough first game away to Togo, for instance, which ended in a goal-less draw. The referee was very unpopular with the crowd for not giving the home side a penalty. But we won the second-leg easily enough, by 4-0 if my memory is correct.

SHOOT: Whom did you play next?

KIDUMU: Cameroon, and what a tough match that was. We each won 1-0 on the other's ground, curiously enough, and Zaire were lucky enough to win the toss to decide who should stage the play-off. We won this third match 2-0, thanks largely to a great performance by one of our forwards, Kibonge. After that, our tie with the Ivory Coast was relatively easy. We got a draw in Abidjan, their capital, and won the second-leg in Kinshasha without too much trouble.

SHOOT: And that took you into the final Group?

KIDUMU: Yes, to meet Morocco and Zambia. You can imagine our delight when Zambia beat Morocco, whom we felt were our more dangerous opponents, by 4-0 in their opening match. We managed to beat Zambia twice when it came to our turn, so we were very confident by the time we got Morocco in Kinshasa for the decisive match. Perhaps a little too confident as it turned out, because it was not until the second-half that we scored, and eventually went on to win 3-0.

SHOOT: Wasn't there some controversy about your first goal?

KIDUMU: Yes, because the goalkeeper was charged into the net holding the ball. But it was absolutely shoulder to shoulder, and the referee gave a goal, so we saw no reason for the Moroccans to protest as much as they did.

SHOOT: The Moroccans actually lodged a protest with FIFA, didn't they?

KIDUMU: I believe they sent them a film of the match, and demanded that it should be replayed. In the meantime they refused to meet us in the second-leg, but we sent a team to Morocco anyway, to show FIFA that we had been willing to play if allowed. You see, although we had already qualified, with so many protests circulating from Chile and Russia and then from Morocco, we didn't want to take any chances.

SHOOT: Who would you pick out, of your usual team, as the main architects of your success?

KIDUMU: It's been a team effort, so I'm reluctant to single anyone out. African football has had its individuals in the past, and the teamwork has been dreadful, so we are very proud of our team spirit.

SHOOT: Accepting that, Kidumu, but what about tactics. Do you have wingers, for example?

KIDUMU: Yes, two wingers, Kakoko and Mayanga. They are both very skilful and very fast, Kakoko especially.

SHOOT: Is the team very experienced - experienced enough to do well in the finals?

KIDUMU: I would say yes. We have four players - Kazadi, the goalkeeper; full-back Mukombo; outside-left Mayanga; and my vice-captain, Bwanga, who've been with team since 1967, which makes them very experienced indeed.

SHOOT: But won't they all be just a little afraid when they come out of the players' tunnel at Gelsenkirchen in West Germany to face, of all countries, Brazil?

KIDUMU: Afraid, yes just a little, but determined to play our best. I know that on paper we have no chance at all against Brazil, or Scotland, or Yugoslavia, but the underdogs can often spring a surprise in a World Cup.

SHOOT: Finally, Kidumu, we believe you've already done rather well out of the competition?

KIDUMU: Indeed we have. After we qualified, President Mobutu presented each one of us with a new house made of brick, a new car, and a holiday for us and our families in the United States. I don't know what he plans to give us if we win the World Cup, but if I'm asked, I'd be quite happy with the proceeds from a copper mine!

Smoke signals

TV directors of the 1974 World Cup coverage seemed obsessed with having as many close-ups of the team substitute benches as possible during games - the forlorn faces on the Zairian bench prior to the Yugoslav match gave viewers some forewarning of what was to follow. Chain-smoking coach Vidinic, along with other team officials, was frequently caught having a crafty fag on the bench throughout the tournament!

Home grown

The entire Zaire World Cup squad played for clubs in their domestic league, with the majority coming from the country's two most dominant teams, Mazembe Lumbumbashi and AS Vita Kinshasa. Although many of the players had attracted interest from European clubs, they were forbidden from playing overseas by the Mobutu government's policy of "authenticity." This policy sought to protect an African identity whereby players could not be exported abroad, but were to be viewed instead as "national treasures."
Zairian teams won the African Cup of Champion Clubs on three occasions during the country's golden era of football (1967-74). Mazambe were champions in both 1967 and '68 (they were also runners-up for the following two years) whilst AS Vita were victorious in 1973.
Remarkably, all of the Zaire squad were under the age of thirty when the Finals began - Mafu Kibonge being the oldest at twenty-nine. Twenty-two year-old Mialo Mwape was the youngest, with the majority of players being in their mid-twenties.
The squad also contained two sets of brothers, all members of the defence: Goalkeeper Mwamba Kazadi and Tshimen Buhanga, and full-backs Ilunga Mwepu and Mwanza Mukombo. "There was a competitive element between us, between those from Lumbumbashi and those from Kinshasa, who had a great rivalry through their clubs, Tout-Puissant and AS Club. But as a national team we'd been together since the beginning of about 1971. One of Vidinic's great strengths was that he had been able to make us like a big family over those four years." (Zaire midfielder, Adelard Mayanga)

The Ice Warrior

In 1976, the Zaire national team featured in a quirky children's short story entitled, 'The Ice Warrior.' Written by Robin Chambers, it tells the tale of the World Cup Final between Iceland and Zaire. The Leopards' star player, Odiwule, can bend the ball 90 degrees, but is killed when the evil Iceland manager swaps the match ball for a special refrigerated one that he had been hiding in the dugout! Odiwules's leg disintegrates as soon as he kicks the ball and Iceland goes onto claim the cup. In a bizarre twist at the story's end, the Iceland manager (who has become his country's Prime Minister!) is haunted by Odiwule's ghost, ten years after the final.

Leopards change their spots!

The 1974 Zaire squad had some fabulous nicknames. Mulumba Ndaye's, for example, was 'Volvo' whilst fellow striker Kembo Uba Kembo was known as 'Monsieur But' (Mr Goal). Midfielder Mafuila Mavuba was referred to as 'The Black Scorcerer' or 'The Wizard,' with Adealard Mayanga Maku also having two nicknames: 'The Brazilian' and 'Goodyear' (after the tyres). As Mayanga himself explains, the latter came about because of his 'all-terrain stamina!'

The nickname of Zaire/DR Congo's national team has fluctuated throughout its history. Between 1960 and 1965 they were called the 'Lions,' changing to the famous 'Leopards' in the latter year. Following the ousting of President Mobutu in 1997, they reverted back to the 'Simbas' (Swahili for 'lions'). However, in an attempt to regain the glories of that era's side, they become the 'Leopards' once again in February 2006.

The runaway bus!

Each team at the 1974 World Cup had a BMW bus bedecked in their nation's colours to take them to matches. So proud were the organisers of these buses that all sixteen actually did a lap of Munich's Olympic stadium running track before the final!
However, the Zaire team's attempt to take their bus home after the tournament came to nothing as they were prevented from leaving German soil by authorities. A representative from the company loaning the bus had arrived at the Zairian hotel to reclaim the vehicle, only to be told that it was currently heading up the autobahn with the team in it!