Heroes to outcasts
Zaire national team 1974
It is June 22nd 1974 at the Parkstadion in Gelsenkirchen and World Cup folklore is about to be written. The final Group B match is taking place between reigning champions Brazil and tournament first-timers Zaire, who have already been eliminated following defeats to Scotland and Yugoslavia. With their team leading 2-0, Rivelino and Jairzinho are standing over a freekick when a Zaire defender runs headlong at them and hoofs the ball up field. Mwepu Ilunga doesn’t know it yet, but he’s just achieved footballing immortality.
Exiting the 1974 World Cup with a record of three defeats, no goals scored and 14 conceded, Zaire’s sorry showing is remembered as a bitter lesson for African teams. But their story is far more complex and tragic than that of a naive and inexperienced team who came up against superior opposition.
Under the obsessive scrutiny of the country's authoritarian leader, Mobutu Sese Seko, their squad would go from continental champions to national pariahs in the space of just six months. In a striking example of how the players’ lives have since transpired, Ekofa Mbungu considers himself one of the lucky ones; the former Zaire striker uses the green Volkswagen gifted to him by Mobutu to eke out a living as a taxi driver.
Zaire arrived at World Cup ‘74 on a high. They had progressed through a gruelling qualifying phase that saw just one African side book a place in West Germany, beating the much-fancied Moroccans 3-0 in a decisive final group stage match. This was backed up by victory at the 1974 African Cup of Nations, making several pundits’ tip The Leopards to impress.
But they had little inkling as to what was happening behind the scenes. A former Belgian colony, Zaire was known as the Congo when it gained independence in 1960. Mobutu snatched the presidency following a coup in 1965, ruling unopposed and with devastating results for the next three decades. The Zaire name was adopted in 1971, while Western clothing was banned and Zaireans were ordered to drop their European names for traditional African ones. Mobutu even intervened in the country’s foot- balling policy, recalling players who had moved to Belgium, banning them from returning abroad and investing significant funds in the national game’s development.
Zaire built a formidable squad, including Kazadi Mwamba, who is recognised as his country’s greatest goalkeeper; midfield maestro Ricky Mavuba; and striker Mulamba Ndaye, who bagged nine goals at the ‘74 Cup of Nations, a record that stands today.
World Cup qualification in ‘74 was the culmination of this project. Mobutu was thrilled, inviting the players to his luxury compound where they were treated like royalty; the infamous Ilunga later recalled that the president had given each member of the team a car and a house. Though he did not travel to West Germany himself, Mobutu sent a significant Zairean entourage that included government ministers, members of the armed forces and – allegedly – a number of witchdoctors.
If the hangers-on were a distraction the players did not let it show. Their opening game saw The Leopards take on Scotland, whose manager Willie Ormond had earlier declared: “If we cannot beat Zaire then we should pack up our bags and go home.” But, against a side that boasted the talents of Dalglish, Bremner and Law among others, Zaire held up remarkably well, displaying skill on the ball and a cohesive defensive strategy. That they eventually went down 2-0 was no great shame given their status as World Cup first-timers.
Unfortunately, that defeat would prove to be Zaire’s high point at the tournament. Ahead of the second game, against a Yugoslavian side considered no better or worse than the Scots, arguments broke out over money. Match payments were not received, leaving players to suspect they had been stolen by the hangers-on. That led to near mutiny, with several refusing to turn out against the Yugoslavs. One former player
alleges that tournament organisers eventually gave the team 3,000 Deutsche Marks each to convince them to participate, and avoid tarnishing the World Cup’s image.
In the event it was Zaire’s reputation that took a hammering. Exhausted and demotivated by days of arguing, The Leopards performance against Yugoslavia was among the worst in the tournament’s history. With the European side already three up after 20 minutes, coach Blagoje Vidinic chose to replace goalkeeper Kazidi with his 5ft 4ins understudy Dimbi Tubilandu. Unsurprisingly it did nothing to improve the team’s performance, and the eventual 9-0 scoreline flattered Zaire.
At this stage things turned ugly. Furious with the international humiliation his nation had suffered, Mobutu sent presidential guards to threaten the team, informing them that if they lost by four or more goals to Brazil they would not be allowed to return home.
And it was that, claims Ilunga, that prompted him to send the ball up field before the Brazilians could take their free-kick; the defender was buying time, fearful that another goal could spell disaster. Though BBC commentator John Motson described Ilunga’s actions as “a bizarre moment of African ignorance”, it is unlikely that an international player of his experience did not know the rules of a free-kick; Ilunga’s assertion that it was an intentional act is believable given Mobutu’s prematch threats.
Brazil did grab a further goal, Valdomiro making it 3-0 on 79 minutes, but there would be no fourth. The Zaire team were allowed to return home, albeit as national pariahs.
Mobutu quickly cast football aside, cutting off funding for the sport and instead ploughing the nation’s money into hosting the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ boxing contest between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. The country has not returned to the World Cup since.
The side of ‘74 were quickly forgotten, many sliding into poverty with the rest of Zaire. Goalkeeper Kazadi, a Cup of Nations winner in ‘68 and ‘74, died penniless in 1996, while Mavuba ended up living in France as a refugee where he died in 1997. Mobutu fled Zaire that same year having dragged the country into economic and social chaos. The former dictator died later in ‘97, though the havoc he wrought on the nation – now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo – is still visible today.
In 1998 a minute's silence was held at the African Cup of Nations following reports that Ndaye had died. In fact the top goalscorer of ‘74 was very much alive, though he was now living rough in South Africa after fleeing his homeland. Given his former team-mates struggles, it is hardly surprising that Ekofa Mbungu is happy to make a living driving his green Volkswagen taxi.
Zaire’s 1974 World Cup nightmare offers a cautionary tale about money’s ability to destroy a football team. While it was Mobutu’s cash that brought the Zaire squad together, it would also tear them apart.