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Léon Mokuna

Léon Mokuna Mutombo (1 November 1928 – 28 January 2020),[2] nicknamed Le Trouet or Trouet, was a Belgian-Congolese professional footballer who played for Sporting CP, Gent and SV Waregem between 1954 and 1966. He was among the first Africans to play professionally in Belgium, and may have been the first Congolese player in a European side. His role has been described as "pioneering" by BBC Sport.[3][4]

Léon Mokuna
Personal information
Full name Léon Mukuna Mutombo
Date of birth (1928-11-01)1 November 1928
Place of birth Léopoldville, Belgian Congo
(modern-day Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Date of death 28 January 2020(2020-01-28) (aged 91)
Place of death Ghent, Belgium
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward[1]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1954 Victoria Club
1954–1957 Sporting Lisbon 13 (19)
1957 Victoria Club
1957–1961 Gent
1961–1966 SV Waregem
International career
1959 Belgium B 2 (1)
Managerial career
1965 DR Congo
1966–1967 TP Engelbert
1968–1970 DR Congo
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Early life edit

Léon Mokuna was born in Léopoldville, Belgian Congo[1] in 1928 and grew up in Léopoldville (now Kinshasa) where he became a protégé of the football-promoting Scheutist missionary Raphaël de la Kethulle de Ryhove, known as "Tata Raphaël". Playing football in Léopoldville, Mokuna gained the French nickname Le Trouet or Trouet ("little hole", phonetically derived from troué! or "holed!") for reputedly having scoring a goal with such force that it snapped the net. He retained it throughout his playing career.[3]

Football career edit

Mokuna was originally talent-spotted by Sporting Lisbon which visited Léopoldville in 1954 during a tour of neighbouring Portuguese Angola. He moved to Portugal to play for Sporting from January 1955 and finished the season with 19 goals in 11 games. However, he remained with the team for only two seasons after being "ostracised" before returning to the Congo to play for Victoria Club (today AS Vita Club) at Léopoldville.[3]

In 1957, Mokuna left the Congo for Belgium to play for KAA Gent ("La Gantoise") where he was twice the team's top goalscorer (1959 and 1960) and became "a club icon".[3] At the time, it was widely assumed that Mokuna was the first African to play for a Belgian team and the first Congolese player in a European club. He certainly pre-empted the so-called Belgicains who arrived from the Congo to play at Belgian clubs after 1959. However, a mixed-race player Louis Cousin (1912–89) had played for Daring Brussels during the 1930s and is now thought to hold the title.[5]

Mokuna played twice for the Belgium B national team in 1959. He became the first black player to represent the country, though he blamed racial prejudice for not being selected for the main national side during the same period.[3] He left KAA Gent in 1961, later playing for KSV Waregem (1961–66) and KV Kortrijk where he immediately suffered a double fracture to his leg that ended his playing career.[3] He gained Belgian nationality in 1959.

After Congolese independence in 1960, Mokuna coached the national football team at the 1965 Africa Cup of Nations during the country's first appearance in the tournament. The team lost to Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire and was eliminated.[3] He also managed the Congolese national team from 1968 to 1970.

Later life edit

Mokuna returned to the Congo (later Zaire) after the end of his Belgian football career and worked in business.[3] However, his property was later confiscated by the regime of Mobutu Sese Seko.

He remained in Ghent until his death at age 91 on 28 January 2020.[5] Mokuna is the grandfather of the Belgian footballer David Mukuna-Trouet, born in 2001.[6]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Léon Mokuna at WorldFootball.net
  2. ^ Le ballon ronde
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Gleeson, Mark (29 January 2020). "Pioneering DR Congo forward Leon Mokuna dies aged 90". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  4. ^ "Voetbalclubs eren Léon Mokuna". Het Nieuwsblad. GHL/ABG. 5 November 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Léon Mokuna (91), een van eerste zwarte voetballers in België, overleden". Radio 2. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  6. ^ "Kleinzoon van Gent-legende tekent bij Beerschot". Gazet van Antwerpen.

Further reading edit

  • Cleveland, Todd (2017). Following the Ball: The Migration of African Soccer Players Across the Portuguese Colonial Empire, 1949-1975. Athens, OH: Ohio University Press. ISBN 978-0-89680-314-5.

léon, mokuna, mutombo, november, 1928, january, 2020, nicknamed, trouet, trouet, belgian, congolese, professional, footballer, played, sporting, gent, waregem, between, 1954, 1966, among, first, africans, play, professionally, belgium, have, been, first, congo. Leon Mokuna Mutombo 1 November 1928 28 January 2020 2 nicknamed Le Trouet or Trouet was a Belgian Congolese professional footballer who played for Sporting CP Gent and SV Waregem between 1954 and 1966 He was among the first Africans to play professionally in Belgium and may have been the first Congolese player in a European side His role has been described as pioneering by BBC Sport 3 4 Leon MokunaPersonal informationFull nameLeon Mukuna MutomboDate of birth 1928 11 01 1 November 1928Place of birthLeopoldville Belgian Congo modern day Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Date of death28 January 2020 2020 01 28 aged 91 Place of deathGhent BelgiumHeight1 75 m 5 ft 9 in 1 Position s Forward 1 Senior career YearsTeamApps Gls 1954Victoria Club1954 1957Sporting Lisbon13 19 1957Victoria Club1957 1961Gent1961 1966SV WaregemInternational career1959Belgium B2 1 Managerial career1965DR Congo1966 1967TP Engelbert1968 1970DR Congo Club domestic league appearances and goals Contents 1 Early life 2 Football career 3 Later life 4 See also 5 References 6 Further readingEarly life editLeon Mokuna was born in Leopoldville Belgian Congo 1 in 1928 and grew up in Leopoldville now Kinshasa where he became a protege of the football promoting Scheutist missionary Raphael de la Kethulle de Ryhove known as Tata Raphael Playing football in Leopoldville Mokuna gained the French nickname Le Trouet or Trouet little hole phonetically derived from troue or holed for reputedly having scoring a goal with such force that it snapped the net He retained it throughout his playing career 3 Football career editMokuna was originally talent spotted by Sporting Lisbon which visited Leopoldville in 1954 during a tour of neighbouring Portuguese Angola He moved to Portugal to play for Sporting from January 1955 and finished the season with 19 goals in 11 games However he remained with the team for only two seasons after being ostracised before returning to the Congo to play for Victoria Club today AS Vita Club at Leopoldville 3 In 1957 Mokuna left the Congo for Belgium to play for KAA Gent La Gantoise where he was twice the team s top goalscorer 1959 and 1960 and became a club icon 3 At the time it was widely assumed that Mokuna was the first African to play for a Belgian team and the first Congolese player in a European club He certainly pre empted the so called Belgicains who arrived from the Congo to play at Belgian clubs after 1959 However a mixed race player Louis Cousin 1912 89 had played for Daring Brussels during the 1930s and is now thought to hold the title 5 Mokuna played twice for the Belgium B national team in 1959 He became the first black player to represent the country though he blamed racial prejudice for not being selected for the main national side during the same period 3 He left KAA Gent in 1961 later playing for KSV Waregem 1961 66 and KV Kortrijk where he immediately suffered a double fracture to his leg that ended his playing career 3 He gained Belgian nationality in 1959 After Congolese independence in 1960 Mokuna coached the national football team at the 1965 Africa Cup of Nations during the country s first appearance in the tournament The team lost to Ghana and Cote d Ivoire and was eliminated 3 He also managed the Congolese national team from 1968 to 1970 Later life editMokuna returned to the Congo later Zaire after the end of his Belgian football career and worked in business 3 However his property was later confiscated by the regime of Mobutu Sese Seko He remained in Ghent until his death at age 91 on 28 January 2020 5 Mokuna is the grandfather of the Belgian footballer David Mukuna Trouet born in 2001 6 See also editPaul Bonga Bonga Congolese footballer who played for Standard Liege from 1957 References edit a b c Leon Mokuna at WorldFootball net Le ballon ronde a b c d e f g h Gleeson Mark 29 January 2020 Pioneering DR Congo forward Leon Mokuna dies aged 90 BBC Sport Retrieved 31 January 2020 Voetbalclubs eren Leon Mokuna Het Nieuwsblad GHL ABG 5 November 2010 Retrieved 31 January 2020 a b Leon Mokuna 91 een van eerste zwarte voetballers in Belgie overleden Radio 2 28 January 2020 Retrieved 31 January 2020 Kleinzoon van Gent legende tekent bij Beerschot Gazet van Antwerpen Further reading editCleveland Todd 2017 Following the Ball The Migration of African Soccer Players Across the Portuguese Colonial Empire 1949 1975 Athens OH Ohio University Press ISBN 978 0 89680 314 5 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Leon Mokuna amp oldid 1216143151, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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