Emmanuel Mwape

Emmanuel Mwape

Mwape soon after the Zambian squad arrived in Lusaka from the African Cup of Nations finals in March 1974
Personal information
Date of birth	1950
Place of birth	Luanshya, Northern Rhodesia
Date of death	8 April 1991
Place of death	Chingola, Zambia
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1963–1966	Roan United F.C.
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1967–1977	Roan United
1977–1982	Rokana United
National team
1968–1981	Zambia	50	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Emmanuel Mwape (1950 – 8 April 1991) was a Zambian footballer who is regarded as Zambia’s best goalkeeper in history. Nicknamed ‘Mannix’, Mwape kept goal for Zambia at CAN 1974 and featured for Roan United and Rokana United. He was named Zambian sportsman of the year in 1974 and his younger brother Kenny also played in goal for Zambia in 1980.

Mwape was born 1950 and first played for Roan’s youth team in 1963 team before making it to the main team at the age of 17 while he was still a schoolboy, as understudy to Zambia national team goalkeeper Happy Malama. He featured for Zambia Schools and his impressive performances saw him being called to the senior national team the following year when he made his full international debut in a friendly against Uganda on 4 July 1968 at Kitwe’s Scrivener Stadium. It was an inauspicious start as he conceded two goals in the first 18 minutes after two poor clearances from him and he was replaced by Malama. Mwape was spared the blushes when Godfrey Chitalu’s double earned Zambia a 2-2 draw.

He was left out of the Zambia’s tour of Uganda in October of that year but was back later that month as reserve goalkeeper for the World Cup qualifier against Sudan which Zambia won 4-2 but lost the second leg by the same score line and were eliminated due to a strange rule by FIFA which favoured the team that won the second leg in the event of a tie.

Mwape became Zambia’s first-choice goalkeeper in 1971 although for the most part of 1973, coach Ante Buselic preferred Joseph Chomba of Zambia Army F.C. He was in goal as Zambia made an appearance at their first ever CAN tournament at Egypt 1974 and he played every minute of every game as they went all the way to the final only to lose 2-0 to Zaire after a replay. He was voted the best goalkeeper at the tournament by a panel of journalists after which Mwape said he deserved the award despite it being the first time he had taken part in a big tournament. Later that year, Mwape won the Challenge Cup with Roan and at the end of the year he was voted Zambia’s Sportsman of the Year.