The former Zaire player who famously ran from his defensive wall and kicked an opposition free-kick away at the 1974 World Cup, passed away last night.
Mwepu Ilunga is remembered for that moment in a 3-0 defeat against Brazil, although it later emerged that the act of kicking the ball away was in fact meant as a protest against the dictatorial regime in his country over unpaid earnings.
At the time, commentators seemed to assume that it was a misunderstanding of the rules on the player's part.
But in an interview five years ago, he admitted that the act was deliberate and that he intended to get himself sent off.
"I was aware of football regulations. I did not have a reason to continue getting injured while those who will benefit financially were sitting on the terraces watching. I know the rules very well but the referee was quite lenient and only gave me a yellow card."
Ilunga, who had been on the DR Congo's (the nation formerly known as Zaire) coaching staff at this year's Africa Cup of Nations, passed away last night aged 65 following a long illness.
In 1998, he appeared on Baddiel and Skinner's World Cup show to recreate that moment - and make light of it:
That Zaire side were the first nation from sub-Saharan Africa to play at the World Cup, although the tournament was disastrous for them from a results point of view as Yugoslavia thrashed them 9-0 and Scotland defeated them 2-0, as well as the win for Brazil.
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