Freddie Mwila Snr, who captained Zambia as a young man, played for Aston Villa, and later coached Power Dynamos to the only continental club trophy a Zambian side has ever won, died in the early hours of Monday 2 November. ZamFoot reported that he suffered a stroke and died at about 01:00 at Maina Soko Medical Centre in Lusaka, and that his family's spokesperson, Lillian Kalikeka, confirmed the death to FAZ Media. He was 80. Funeral gatherings are being held at the family home at Mapepe Farms in Chilanga.
The government's tribute came from the Minister of Youth and Sports, Likando Mufalali, who in a statement reported by ZamFoot praised Mwila's contribution as both player and coach.
His legacy will continue to inspire generations.
— Likando Mufalali, Minister of Youth and Sports, in a statement on Monday 2 November reported by ZamFoot
The player
Mwila made his Zambia debut in 1965 at 18 and two years later captained the side that won the Jamhuri Cup. In 1967 he, Emment Kapengwe and Howard Mwikuta joined Atlanta Chiefs, becoming some of the first Zambians to turn professional abroad; the Chiefs won the 1968 league title, and ZamFoot records that Mwila scored twice in a 3–2 win over Manchester City. In 1969 he and Kapengwe moved to Aston Villa, where he spent about nine months. He was part of the Zambia team that reached the 1974 Africa Cup of Nations final, lost to Zaire after a replay, and finished with 15 international goals.
The coach
His defining achievement on the touchline came in 1991, when Power Dynamos won the African Cup Winners' Cup and the domestic league in the same season. No Zambian club has won a CAF inter-club competition since. Mwila went on to coach several Zambian clubs and Botswana's national team, was assistant coach to Zambia at the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations, and was appointed head coach of the national side in November 1996.
He largely withdrew from the game after a road accident in South Africa in 2003 that broke both his legs; the driver, the Malawian coach Robert Banda, was killed.
Sources: ZamFoot, “Zambia football legend Freddie Mwila Snr dies aged 80” (2 Nov 2026); ZamFoot, “Government mourns Zambia football legend Freddie Mwila Snr” (2 Nov 2026).