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)