Mavuba Mafuila

Mwanza Mukombo (right, on the ground} playing in the Zaire vs. Brazil match at the 1974 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name	Mafuila Mavuba Ku Mbundu[1]
Date of birth	(1949-12-15)15 December 1949[1]
Place of birth	Léopoldville, Belgian Congo
Date of death	30 November 1996(1996-11-30) (aged 46)[1]
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1968–1982	AS Vita Club
International career
	Zaire
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ricky Mavuba Mafuila Ku Mbundu (15 December 1949 – 30 November 1996) was a football player from Zaire, nicknamed The Black Sorcerer. His son is Rio Mavuba, who was a French international footballer.

Biography

Born in Léopoldville,^[1] He competed for Zaire at the 1974 FIFA World Cup in Germany^[2] and also won the 1974 African Cup of Nations in Egypt defeating Zambia in a second game by 2–0.

Mavuba is remembered for taking direct free kicks and penalty kick executions. He is credited with being the first Congolese footballer ever to score from a corner kick: a curved shot that went in straight in the back of the net without deflections.

Following his football career, Mavuba moved to Angola. He fled the country with his family at the onset of the civil war in 1984 and lived as a refugee in France until his death in November 1996.^[3]

Club career

Defensive midfield player from Zaire, winger from AS Vita Club of Kinshasa which won the CAF Champions League in 1973.

Honours

• Africa Cup of Nations: Champions in 1974