By The ZamFoot crew | June 29, 2019
Former Zambia national team captain Dickson Makwaza has died following an illness. Makwaza died in the early hours of Sunday at the Ndola Central Hospital where he was admitted with a liver ailment.
Makwaza has been in Ndola Central Hospital since early this week.
ZAMBIA 🇿🇲
Zambia’s first Afcon qualification (1974) captain Dickson Makwaza is in Ndola cenral hospital with a serious liver ailment.Get well soonest Legend! pic.twitter.com/xzKrS3FxcK
— Chipolopolodiehards (@chipolopolodh) June 25, 2019
The late Dickson Kenneth Makwaza was born on 15th July 1942 in Mazabuka. In his early football life, Makwaza was a right-winger.
He started his club football career at Mufulira Mine Team (Now called Mufulira Wanderers) in 1961.
In 1964, Makwaza switched to defense when Wanderers traveled to Chingola to play Nchanga Rangers with a shortage of defenders as “Kanono” Musonda was unavailable due to work duties with the mines. To the pleasant surprise of his teammates and coaches, Makwaza gave a good account of himself and it was decided to make the move permanent.
NATIONAL TEAM
Makwaza made his debut against Kenya in September 1965 when Zambia won the Rothmans Soccer trophy in a three-match series in Ndola, Kitwe, and Lusaka.
Makwaza was first named the captain of the national team in June 1967, replacing Howard Mwikuta. However, the captainship rotated as Mwila and Chama took turns in leading the squad. Makwaza regained the armband and was named permanent skipper in August 1969 after Zambia lost 2–1 away to Cameroun to bow out of the 1970 CAN race.
Makwaza was the first captain to led the Copper Bullets to the Africa Cup of Nations as he captained the team at their maiden AFCON appearance in 1974. Zambia reached the final and lost to Zaire in the only final to be played twice in the tournament’s history.
Makwaza is one of only three Chipolopolo captains to play in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, The other two being Kalusha Bwalya and Chris Katongo.
His son Linos Makwaza is the current assistant coach at Nakambala Leopards while his grandson Linos Makwaza Jnr plays for Kitwe giants Power Dynamos.
Rest in peace Legend.