World Stories | Episode 5 Zaire against Brazil (now DR Congo): Between dictatorship and revolution

African teams qualify for the first time world Championship In football, we are in the 70s of the twentieth century and this is a moment of cultural revolution within the sporting world. In fact, it is only since the 1970s that fifa They have been decided to enter the world qualifiers.

once again we are in Germany1974, World Cup German, On June 22, 1974, in the match between Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Brazil, an incident happened that became history. dictator of zaire Mobutu Sese Seko He saw the qualifying opportunity not as sporting freedom, but as synonymous with propaganda and potential international control. Politics and football, like that moment, have never been one to destroy the other.
The group stage was to be lost to Zaire, although the team lost 2–0 with a good performance. Scotlandturn against again Yugoslavia, It mainly marked the fate of the championship for Zaire and beyond. An angry dictator at the epilogue of the first match informs the players that he will not have Compensation Till next time. Vain attempts by the team not to play were the only way to sabotage the game and it happened: Zaire deliberately lost 9-0 against Yugoslavia.

However, the punishment that remained in history was not played out with Yugoslavia. Actually, the last match of the championship is against Brazil and here is the Zaire Football Center. Yusuf mawepu ilunga He gives the piece what would then be named by the collective imagination ‘reverse punishment’. Dictator mobutuNow blinded by anger at his team’s loss, he threatened the players that yes, they could have lost in this last match but could not score more than the opposing team’s three goals or else he would literally kill all the players on his return. In the home office and families.
Brazil was winning 3-0 in the 85th minute. In the last free kick, Ilunga felt the time to act was running out and so the midfielder came out of the barrier and kicked the ball away from the goal and (above) the Brazilian player. rivellino The one who was now ready to face the punishment was stunned by his gesture. A crazy action at first glance, that of Ilunga, which turned out to be heroic only years later.