Name: Raymond Bwanga (formerly Buhanga) Tshimenu
Nickname: "Black Beckenbauer"
Country:
DR Congo (Zaire at the time)Club: TP Englebert
Position: *SWP, CB, DMF
Side: RF/BS
Age: 21-25 years (04/01/1949)
Height: 175 cm (or 178 cm)
Weight: 70 kg
Attack: 62
Defence: 78
Balance: 84
Stamina: 81
Top Speed: 77
Acceleration: 76
Response: 81
Agility: 70
Dribble Accuracy: 72
Dribble Speed: 73
Short Pass Accuracy: 70
Short Pass Speed: 72
Long Pass Accuracy: 70
Long Pass Speed: 73
Shot Accuracy: 60
Shot Power: 78
Shot Technique: 61
Free Kick Accuracy: 55
Curling: 56
Header: 75
Jump: 80
Technique: 69
Aggression: 71
Mentality: 69
Goalkeeper Skills: 50
Team Work: 73
Injury Tolerance: A
Condition: 4
Weak Foot Accuracy: 4
Weak Foot Frequency: 4
Consistency: 4
Growth type: Standard
CARDS:
S08 - Slide Tackle
S09 - Covering
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Sliding - Covering
Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Defence Minded
INFO:
Bwanga is a former sweeper or centre-back who could also play as defensive midfielder. He spent his entire career at Mazembe (at his time Englebert), playing over 300 matches between 1963 and 1981, and winning back-to-back CAF Champions League in 1967 and 1968. He was team captain for many years. He represented the Democratic Republic of the Congo at least 28 times between 1970 and 1976, winning the 1974 Africa Cup of Nations and taking part to the 1974 FIFA World Cup. He won the African Ballon d'Or in 1973 after having finished runner-up one year prior.
A centre-forward at the very beginning of his career, Bwanga first established himself as a defensive midfielder and then as a defender. He was nicknamed the "Black Beckenbauer" by the African and French press due to the similar playstyle to the German legend. Bwanga made himself known in his continent for being a smart, skilled and physically strong player who could lead his team from the back. Unfortunately, he didn't live up to the expectations at the World Cup as his overall performance was mostly underwhelming. While he showed strength, notable tackling, and the ability to cover for his right-back when his teammate was out of position, Bwanga lacked in several other aspects. He was easily dribbled by most opponents any time he had one-on-one challenges, didn't have good ball distribution nor technical qualities, and wasn't as much of a fighting defender compared to his three teammates in the back-line.