Mwepu Ilunga facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joseph Mwepu Ilunga | ||
| Date of birth | 22 August 1949 | ||
| Place of birth | Belgian Congo | ||
| Date of death | 8 May 2015 (aged 65) | ||
| Place of death | Kinshasa, DR Congo | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| TP Mazembe | |||
| National team | |||
| 1971–1975 | Zaïre | 21 | (0) |
|
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Joseph Mwepu Ilunga (born August 22, 1949 – died May 8, 2015) was a talented football player from Zaire. Today, this country is known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was a strong defender on the field. Sometimes, his name is also written as Alunga Mwepu.
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Playing for Clubs: TP Mazembe
Mwepu Ilunga played club football for a team called Englebert TP Mazembe. This was in his home country, Zaire. He helped his team win the African Cup of Champions twice! They won in 1967 and again in 1968. This was a very big achievement for his club.
Playing for His Country: Zaïre
The 1974 FIFA World Cup
Ilunga played for his country's national team, which was called Zaïre at the time. He was part of the team that went to the 1974 FIFA World Cup. This was a huge moment because Zaïre was the first team from sub-Saharan Africa to ever qualify for the World Cup finals!
A Famous Free Kick Moment
During a group match against Brazil, something very unusual happened. Brazil was about to take a free kick. Mwepu Ilunga suddenly ran out of his team's defensive wall and kicked the ball away before the referee had blown the whistle. He was given a yellow card for this.
Many people watching thought he didn't know the rules. However, Ilunga later said he knew exactly what he was doing. He was an experienced player and understood the game's rules. He hoped the referee would send him off with a red card.
Why Ilunga Kicked the Ball Away
Ilunga's action was actually a form of protest. The players had found out during the tournament that they would not be paid their rightful earnings. The country's leaders were supposed to pay them, but they weren't. Ilunga wanted to show how unhappy the team was with this situation.
Zaïre lost that match to Brazil 3–0. They had also lost their first two matches to Scotland (2–0) and Yugoslavia (9–0).
Later Life and Death
Mwepu Ilunga passed away in May 2015. He had been ill for a long time. He died in the Saint-Joseph de Limete Hospital in Kinshasa, which is in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
