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.