Congolese international striker Trésor Mputu is ending his career at 37. He will remain as an immense talent who preferred to turn his back on the sirens of European clubs, and flourish in Congo and Africa.
After dragging his spleen for very long weeks, playing intermittent, and staying for the past six months without treading a lawn with his club, Trésor Mputu has finally confirmed what everyone already knew. This Wednesday, February 8, the Congolese striker laconically formalized his retirement from the football fields during an interview with Nyota RTV, a media close to the Tout Puissant Mazembe club. The curtain therefore falls on the career of one of the most talented players on the African continent over the past 20 years. A true legend in the Congo, but whose performances have had very little media exposure in Africa and especially in the rest of the world. Those who rubbed shoulders with him and trained him, like the Frenchman Claude le Roy, saw him take his place naturally at the table of the greatest talents in African football. ” The place of Trésor Mputu is among the greatest African playershammers the one who discovered the prodigy in the Congo when he was only 19 years old. There are some who have been crowned African Ballon d’Or and who did not have his talent, far from it. »
The desire to want…
“He’s the kind of player who could win you a match, a tournament, a trophy “, adds the Senegalese Lamine Ndiaye who led TP Mazembe to the final of the Club World Cup in 2010. ” When he really wanted, he was at the level of the best African players “.
Envy, precisely, has always been at the heart of the career of the native of Kinshasa. His talent could have made the happiness of several major European clubs. Arsenal and Arsene Wenger were so close to seeing Mputu put on the Gunners tunic. But the eternal number 8 never wanted to leave the nest of Cordeaux de Mazembe. Because in Lumumbashi he was a living god. Because its president and “dad” Moïse Katumbi refused him nothing; money, cars, and his plane to party in Kinshasa from time to time. ” Trésor could play in quite a few big teams in Europe, sorry Lamine Ndiaye. He had all the qualities to impose himself everywhere “.
“Treasure is a perfect example”
The non-exhaustive list of teams that have taken an interest in the player’s talent is as long as your arm: English clubs (Blackburn, Hull City, Tottenham), French (Nantes, Olympique de Marseille), Greek (Olympiakos), Tunisian ( CS Sfaxien, Espérance Sportive de Tunis, African Club, Sporting Star of the Sahel), Turkish Galatasaray or the Persian Gulf. None succeeded in attracting Trésor Mputu, who ultimately only had one experience abroad: three seasons with the Angolan club Kabuscorp before returning home.
“Trésor’s trajectory is the one I dream of for thousands and thousands of young African footballersconfides Claude Le Roy. Making the choice to stay in his country because he was treated well, because there are more than worthy economic conditions and he did not see the point of expatriating. That’s what I’ve been fighting for so long; an African-style professionalism, adapted to African realities, which would allow thousands and thousands of young footballers to live off their talent and their passion without having to take canoes or cross the desert. A good footballer can succeed in Africa, but you need a president like Moïse Katumbi, you need a big club like TP Mazembe “.
With the formation of Lumumbashi, Trésor Mputu will win two CAF Champions Leagues (2009, 2010), a Confederation Cup (2017), two African Supercups and the title of best player playing on the continent in 2009.
With the national team, the adventure will not be as great (54 selections, 14 goals, 4 CAN), but everyone suspected it, the top scorer in the history of the African Club Cups (41 goals) had given his heart and talent to TP Mazembe for a long time.