FOOTBALL LEGEND FREDDIE MWILA SNR DIES AGED 80
Zambian football has been plunged into mourning following the death of former national team captain and coach Freddie Mwila Snr, who passed away at the age of 80 after suffering a stroke.
Family spokesperson Lillian Kalikeka confirmed the news to FAZ Media, saying Mwila died at Maina Soko Medical Centre in Lusaka at around 01:00 hours on Monday morning.
Kalikeka said funeral proceedings are being held at the family home in Mapepe Farms, opposite Four Pillars Lodge in Chilanga.
Mwila is survived by his wife, Kerrian Fox, and their six children, two of whom followed in their father’s footsteps and became footballers.
A distinguished servant of Zambian football
Mwila was one of Zambia’s outstanding football figures, making his national team debut at just 18 years old.
He first represented Zambia on 13 June 1965 against English side Middlesex Wanderers in Ndola, scoring the opening goal in a 2-2 draw. His full international debut followed in September that year against Kenya, with Zambia going on to win the Rothmans International Trophy.
He was part of the Zambian team that lifted the Malawi Republic Cup in July 1966, scoring four goals in a remarkable 6-0 victory over the hosts on his birthday. He also featured in the side that won the Rothmans International Trophy against Kenya later that year.
In December 1967, Mwila captained Zambia to victory in the Jamhuri Cup against Kenya. He also led the national team during the 1970 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign against Sudan.
One of his memorable individual performances came in June 1972 when he scored a hat-trick in Zambia’s 6-1 victory over Lesotho in a 1974 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Ndola.
Mwila was also part of the historic Zambian squad that made the country’s first appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in 1974. Zambia reached the final but lost to Zaire after a replay.
Following the tournament, he stepped away from international football, believing he had reached retirement age.
He remains among Zambia’s highest-scoring midfielders, having scored 15 goals in full international matches.
After retiring from active football, Mwila settled in Lusaka and ventured into farming. He also remained connected to the game, making television appearances as a football analyst during Zambia’s historic 2012 Africa Cup of Nations campaign, when the Chipolopolo won their first continental title.
His death marks the loss of a significant figure from an important era in Zambian football history.
