The Most Famous

SOCCER PLAYERS from Democratic Republic of the Congo

This page contains a list of the greatest Congolese Soccer Players. The pantheon dataset contains 21,273 Soccer Players, 47 of which were born in Democratic Republic of the Congo. This makes Democratic Republic of the Congo the birth place of the 58th most number of Soccer Players behind Iceland, and Georgia.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Congolese Soccer Players of all time. This list of famous Congolese Soccer Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Congolese Soccer Players.

1. Claude Makélélé (b. 1973)

With an HPI of 55.03, Claude Makélélé is the most famous Congolese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 54 different languages on wikipedia.

Claude Makélélé Sinda (born 18 February 1973) is a football manager and former professional player who played as a defensive midfielder. Regarded as one of the greatest defensive midfielders of all time, Makélélé has been credited with redefining the defensive midfield role in English football, especially during the 2004–05 FA Premier League season, where he played a key role in helping Chelsea win the title with 95 points. In homage, the defensive midfield position is sometimes colloquially known as the "Makélélé Role". In his playing career, which ended at Paris Saint-Germain, Makélélé also played for Nantes, Marseille, Celta Vigo, Real Madrid and Chelsea. He won league titles in France, Spain and England, as well as the 2001–02 UEFA Champions League during his time with Real Madrid. Furthermore, Makélélé was once selected in the FIFPRO Men's World 11 while playing for Chelsea. Born in Zaire, Makélélé was a French international for 13 years and was part of the France national team which reached the final of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He also represented his nation at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, two UEFA European Championships and the 1996 Summer Olympics. After retiring from playing, Makélélé went into coaching and technical staff roles. He has been manager at Bastia and Eupen; assistant manager at Paris Saint-Germain and Swansea; a youth coach and technical mentor at Chelsea; and technical director at Monaco.

2. Ndaye Mulamba (1948 - 2019)

With an HPI of 51.12, Ndaye Mulamba is the 2nd most famous Congolese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Pierre Ndaye Mulamba (4 November 1948 – 26 January 2019) was a footballer from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly Zaire, who played as a forward. He was nicknamed "Mutumbula" ("assassin") and "Volvo". Mulamba was born in Luluabourg (now Kananga) in 1948. In 1973, he starred for AS Vita Club of Kinshasa, who won the African Cup of Champions Clubs. He was a second-half substitute for the Zaire national team against Morocco in the decisive match in qualification for the 1974 World Cup. In 1974 Mulamba played for Zaire in both the African Cup of Nations in Egypt and the FIFA World Cup in West Germany. In Egypt he scored nine goals, still a record, as Zaire won the tournament. Mulamba was named Player of the Tournament and was awarded the National Order of the Leopard by President Mobutu Sese Seko. In Germany, he captained the team, and played in the 2–0 defeat by Scotland, but was sent off after 22 minutes against Yugoslavia. Zaire were already losing 4–0 by then, and finally lost 9–0. Mulamba said later that the team had underperformed, either in protest or from loss of morale, after not receiving a promised $45,000 match bonus. In 1994, Mulamba was honoured at the 1994 African Cup of Nations in Tunisia. On returning to Zaire, he was shot in the leg by robbers who mistakenly assumed a former sports star would be a wealthy target. He was sheltered by Emmanuel Paye-Paye for eight months' recuperation. During the First Congo War, Mulamba's eldest son was killed and in 1996 he fled to South Africa as a refugee, alone and destitute. He went to Johannesburg and then Cape Town, where he was taken in by a family in a township. In 1998, a minute's silence was held at the African Cup of Nations in Burkina Faso after an erroneous report that Mulamba had died in a diamond mining accident in Angola. By then Mulamba was unemployed and drinking heavily. By 2010 Mulamba was working as a coach of local amateur teams and had married a local woman. Forgotten Gold, a documentary filmed in 2008–09, follows him in South Africa and on a visit back to Congo. He also met with Danny Jordaan, head of the organising committee for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Mulamba suffered from heart, kidney and knee problems in later life and was a wheelchair user. He lived in poverty and without recognition in the Khayelitsha township of Cape Town. He died in Johannesburg on 26 January 2019. AS Vita Club African Cup of Champions Clubs: 1973 Zaire / DR Congo League (6): 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1980, 1988 Congo Cup (7): 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1983 Zaire Africa Cup of Nations: 1974 Ndaye Mulamba at WorldFootball.net Ndaye Mulamba at National-Football-Teams.com Biography [translated from french]

3. Kembo Uba Kembo (1947 - 2007)

With an HPI of 50.23, Kembo Uba Kembo is the 3rd most famous Congolese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Jean Kembo Uba-Kembo (27 December 1947 – 26 March 2007) was a Congolese football midfielder who played for Zaire in the 1974 FIFA World Cup.

4. Steve Mandanda (b. 1985)

With an HPI of 50.12, Steve Mandanda is the 4th most famous Congolese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 54 different languages.

Steve Mandanda Mpidi (French pronunciation: [stɛv mɑ̃dɑ̃da]; born 28 March 1985) is a French professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper and is the captain of Ligue 1 club Rennes. A product of the Le Havre academy, Mandanda spent most of his professional career with Marseille, making 613 appearances across all competitions in two spells at the club, and was voted Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year five times. He also had a short stint with English club Crystal Palace between his spells at Marseille. In 2023, Mandanda joined Rennes. Born in Zaire (present-day DR Congo), Mandanda played for the France national team. Making his debut in 2008, representing France at seven international tournaments: four UEFA European Championships (2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020) and three FIFA World Cups (2010, 2018, 2022), winning the tournament in 2018. Mandanda was born on 28 March 1985 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (then Zaire), but he moved with his family to Évreux, France when he was two years old. He practiced boxing before joining the local team ALM Évreux at age nine. He acquired French nationality by naturalization in May 2003. Mandanda made his league debut for Le Havre in August 2005, and did not concede a goal until his fourth match. He played 30 league matches in the 2005–06 season and 37 in 2006–07, with his performances attracting the attention of other clubs. Following an unsuccessful trial at Aston Villa prior to the 2007–08 season, he joined Marseille in summer 2007. At the start of his first season with Marseille, Mandanda was regarded as an understudy to first choice keeper Cédric Carrasso. However a knee injury ruled Carrasso out for six months, leaving the way clear for Mandanda to become a regular fixture in Ligue 1, Champions League and UEFA Cup matches. On 5 March 2008, Mandanda joined Marseille on a permanent four-year contract. At the end of Mandanda's final season at Marseille he was named as the club's Player of the Season. It was the second time that he won the award having previously done so in the 2007-08 campaign. On 1 July 2016, Premier League club Crystal Palace announced that they had completed the signing of Mandanda on a free transfer from Marseille. He struggled to make an impact, being injured for most of the season. He made just ten appearances. On 11 July 2017, Mandanda returned to Olympique de Marseille on a three-year contract for €3 million. On 22 December 2018, Mandanda played his 500th match for Marseille, in a 1–1 draw at Angers. On 25 August 2020, aged 35, he prolonged his contract until 2024. On 6 July 2022, Rennes announced the signing of Mandanda on a two-year deal. On 8 January 2024, Mandanda extended his contract with Rennes until June 2025. Mandanda won a number of caps for the France national under-21 team and was named in the French squad for the 2006 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. For the first time, in 2007, he took part in the French A-squad pre-selection. He played in a friendly match with France B against Congo DR on 5 February 2008, in which he was substituted at half time, and his younger brother Parfait came on for Congo. He made his full international debut on 27 May 2008 in a 2–0 victory against Ecuador in a Euro 2008 warm-up friendly, coming on as a half-time substitute for Sébastien Frey, and was subsequently nominated as the third-choice goalkeeper in the French squad for the tournament in Austria and Switzerland. He started the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign as France's first-choice goalkeeper, making his competitive international debut on 6 September 2008 in their opening qualifier against Austria. However, was replaced in the summer of 2009, as Raymond Domenech chose Olympique Lyonnais goalkeeper Hugo Lloris over him for the international starting eleven. Mandanda was a member of France's World Cup team, but did not appear in any of its three matches in the competition. On 6 June 2011, Mandanda captained the French in a 4–1 friendly win away to Ukraine at the Donbass Arena. He was called up for UEFA Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. Mandanda was originally named in the squad also for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but sustained an injury before the tournament and was replaced by Stéphane Ruffier of AS Saint-Étienne. He was part of the squad that came runners-up at UEFA Euro 2016 on home soil. Mandanda was part of the 23-man France squad that won the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He played their goalless group game against Denmark, his debut tournament appearance, at the age of 33. In November 2022, he was named in the French squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where he started against Tunisia in the final group stage match. On 14 January 2023, Mandanda announced his retirement from international football. Mandanda has three younger brothers, Parfait, Riffi, and Over, all of whom are goalkeepers. He enjoys spending time with his family in the city of Marseille, where he lives. He has earned the nickname "Frenchie" amongst his relatives for having chosen to play for the France national football team rather than Congo, his country of birth. As of match played 19 May 2024 As of match played 30 November 2022 Marseille Ligue 1: 2009–10 Coupe de la Ligue: 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12 Trophée des Champions: 2010, 2011 UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2017–18 France FIFA World Cup: 2018; runner-up: 2022 UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2016 Individual Toulon Tournament Best Goalkeeper: 2005 UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: February 2008, August 2008, September 2017 UNFP Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year: 2007–08, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18 UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2007–08, 2010–11, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18 Marseille Olympian of the Season: 2007–08, 2015–16 Orders Knight of the Legion of Honour: 2018 Steve Mandanda – French league stats at Ligue 1 – also available in French Steve Mandanda at the French Football Federation (in French) Steve Mandanda – UEFA competition record (archive) Steve Mandanda – FIFA competition record (archived)

5. Mwepu Ilunga (1949 - 2015)

With an HPI of 47.49, Mwepu Ilunga is the 5th most famous Congolese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Joseph Mwepu Ilunga (22 August 1949 – 8 May 2015) was a football defender from Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). His name is also written as Alunga Mwepu.

6. José Bosingwa (b. 1982)

With an HPI of 45.78, José Bosingwa is the 6th most famous Congolese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 44 different languages.

José Bosingwa da Silva (born 24 August 1982) is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a right-back. An attacking fullback, his pace and ability to get up and down the flanks created problems for the opposition. He spent most of his professional career with Porto and Chelsea, winning 13 honours overall including the UEFA Champions League with both clubs: 2004 with the former and 2012 with the latter. A Portuguese international since 2007, Bosingwa represented the nation at Euro 2008 and the 2004 Summer Olympics, earning a total of 27 caps.

7. Kazadi Mwamba (1947 - 1996)

With an HPI of 45.57, Kazadi Mwamba is the 7th most famous Congolese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

Robert Kazadi Mwamba (6 March 1947 – 1998) was a goalkeeper who played for TP Mazembe and Zaire.

8. Mwanza Mukombo (1945 - 2001)

With an HPI of 45.56, Mwanza Mukombo is the 8th most famous Congolese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.

Albert Mwanza Mukombo (17 December 1945 – 13 October 2001) was a Congolese footballer who played for Zaire in the 1974 FIFA World Cup. He also played for TP Mazembe. He is well-known among Argentine sticker collectors due to his sticker for the 1974 World Cup Album by Panini being near-impossible to collect due to its rarity.

9. Mavuba Mafuila (1949 - 1996)

With an HPI of 45.29, Mavuba Mafuila is the 9th most famous Congolese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.

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.

10. Kakoko Etepé (b. 1950)

With an HPI of 44.93, Kakoko Etepé is the 10th most famous Congolese Soccer Player. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.

Emmanuel Kakoko Etepé (born 22 November 1950) is a Congolese former professional footballer who played as a forward. He represented Zaire in the 1974 FIFA World Cup.

People

Pantheon has 66 people classified as Congolese soccer players born between 1945 and 1999. Of these 66, 56 (84.85%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Congolese soccer players include Claude Makélélé, Steve Mandanda, and José Bosingwa. The most famous deceased Congolese soccer players include Ndaye Mulamba, Kembo Uba Kembo, and Mwepu Ilunga. As of April 2024, 18 new Congolese soccer players have been added to Pantheon including Kembo Uba Kembo, Kazadi Mwamba, and Mwanza Mukombo.