Name: Joseph Mwepu Ilunga
Country:
DR Congo (Zaire at the time)Club: TP Englebert
Position: *SB
Side: RF/RS
Age: 22-25 years (22/08/1949)
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 74 kg
Attack: 64
Defence: 69
Balance: 82
Stamina: 83
Top Speed: 84
Acceleration: 80
Response: 74
Agility: 74
Dribble Accuracy: 75
Dribble Speed: 72
Short Pass Accuracy: 67
Short Pass Speed: 70
Long Pass Accuracy: 72
Long Pass Speed: 78
Shot Accuracy: 56
Shot Power: 78
Shot Technique: 58
Free Kick Accuracy: 56
Curling: 63
Header: 65
Jump: 73
Technique: 75
Aggression: 79
Mentality: 73
Goalkeeper Skills: 50
Team Work: 68
Injury Tolerance: A
Condition: 4
Weak Foot Accuracy: 4
Weak Foot Frequency: 4
Consistency: 5
Growth type: Standard
CARDS:
P04 - Darting Run
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Balanced
INFO:
Ilunga was a right-back. He spent his entire career at Mazembe (back then Englebert) from 1967 to 1980, winning back-to-back CAF Champions League titles in 1967 and 1968. He represented the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1971 to 1975, playing at least 21 matches. He won the 1974 Africa Cup of Nations and participated to the FIFA World Cup of the same year.
A physically strong defender, Ilunga was praised in Africa for his speed, tenacity, workrate and overlapping runs that helped Zaire win the 1974 AFCON, highlighting especially his performance in the final against Zaire. Unable to prove his abilities at the World Cup, he surely tried to do his best in all three games played by Zaire, but his flaws were clear as he lacked in ball distribution and defensive duties in stopping dangerous players like Džajić, Rivelino or Marinho. He showed notable pace and solid technical qualities on occasion.
Unfortunately, Ilunga is still remembered today mostly for having kicked the ball away before Brazil could take a free kick during the World Cup match between Zaire and Brazil. Ilunga was sanctioned with a yellow card. Zaire's defender acted like that as a sign of protest against the dictatorial regime in Zaire.