Fatal power outage?
Soccer hero bitten to death by his own dogs
Tragedy about a Zambian football legend: Philemon Mulala is mauled to death by his three attack dogs in his home in Lichtenburg, South Africa.
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Zambia mourns the loss of football legend Philemon Mulala.
The African Republic of Zambia mourns the loss of Philemon Mulala. The 60-year-old ex-footballer died tragically after being bitten to death by his own dogs.
The incident happened at his home in Lichtenburg, South Africa, where Mulala had moved during his career. According to the police, Mulala was found dead by his wife in the garden, his body is said to have been covered with bite marks.
According to the police report, she was working on the other side of the house they shared because the electricity went out when the dogs attacked Mulala. She heard the dogs barking, but didn’t look immediately because the house was on a busy street and the dogs kept making noise.
«After the power was back, she went into the house and looked for her husband, but could not find him. As the woman continued her search, she saw her husband lying motionless in the garden. She then went outside to find that her husband had been bitten by the dogs,” said police spokesman Sam Tselanyane. Arriving rescue workers could only determine the death of the Zambian football hero a little later. Why the three attack dogs attacked their owners is now being investigated.
Deep sadness at the Zambian federation
Mulala was celebrated as a national hero in Zambia. He belonged to the “Chipolopolo” generation, the golden generation of Zambian internationals who won the African Cecafa Cup in 1984 and thus won the country’s first title. Back then, Mulala scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Kenya in the Cecafa Cup semifinals to secure a place in the final.
In a first reaction to the death of the football legend, the Zambian association told ESPN: “It’s such a tragic end. Many who used to cheer for him are deeply saddened by the news of his death. Many remember his days with the national team when Zambia celebrated their first post-independence title.” (mbi)