In the late 1970s, Power Dynamos FC founding Chairman, Mr Arthur Walter Davies, started a project to conquer Africa.
A new stadium named Arthur Davies Stadium was built in Kitwe’s Ndeke Township in 1977. Arthur Davies and his team also hired Freddie Mwila, a Rokana United and Zambia National Team legend who had just returned from England where he had a short stint at Aston Villa FC after impressing for Atlanta Chiefs FC in the USA.
His exposure in the USA and England was exactly what Arthur Davies and team were looking for to drive the Power Dynamos continental dream.
Fred Mwila took his position in the driving seat at Arthur Davies Stadium. His eye for talent made Power Dynamos lure some top stars to Ndeke. Among them were Alex Chola, Bizwell Phiri, Peter Kaumba, Lucky Msiska, Stafford Mutalama, Boyd Chilembo, Blackwell Chalwe, Edwin Katongo,Lucian Chitalu, Joseph Mwewa, Edwin Kanyanta and Michael Musonda. Freddie Mwila also raided the Rokana United Youth Team and signed a number of young stars, prominent among them being Wisdom Chansa who in later years became a household name in Zambian football.
Mwila moulded a strong side within a short period. Power Dynamos became the first Club in Southern Africa to reach the final of a continental Cup competition in 1982. They lost 4-0 on aggregate to Arab Contractors of Egypt. The 1982 continental success earned the club an invitation to the Rothmans International Cup hosted in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Freddie Mwila went on to guide Power Dynamos to win the tightly contested tournament after beating Cameroonian giants Tonnerre Yaounde FC.
In 1984, Freddie Mwila set his eyes on winning the Club’s first league title. Power Dynamos delivered the first title after beating Mufulira Wanderers FC in a tightly contested title decider played under floodlights at Arthur Davies Stadium. The early achievements for a team that had just joined the elite league earned them the tag “The Baby Born With Teeth”.
Mwila left to start a new project and was joined by Mr Arthur Walter Davies in the late 1980s.
The duo started Circuit Chiefs FC and a stadium was built at Kitwe Playing Fields (KPF) named Garden Park Stadium. The name Circuit Chiefs was inspired by Atlanta Chiefs, a club Mwila played for in the USA and Circuit from Mr Arthur Walter Davies’ background in the energy sector.
Mwila used his eye for talent to build a strong side which made headlines from the early stages. Readers may wish to note that another club in South Africa was built with inspiration from Atlanta Chiefs. Mwila’s teammate at Atlanta Chiefs, Kaizer Motaung, established Kaizer Chiefs FC.
Freddie Mwila returned to Power Dynamos in 1989. His second coming was to complete the Power Dynamos mission to conquer Africa.
Fred Mwila made adjustments to the squad, released a number of senior players and brought in fresh blood to build a star studded side around new Skipper Wisdom Chansa .
In 1990, Mwila brought in youngsters Kenan Simambe and Sunday Kalunga from Circuit Chiefs FC. Power also promoted a number of rising stars from the youth, among them Douglas Mwamba, Winter Mumba and Shex Chipoya. Power Dynamos also signed Simon Mwansa, Webby Chilufya, Martin Mwamba, Robert Watiyakeni and Richard Sikanyika. Later in 1991, Power Dynamos recruited Wedson Nyirenda and John Soko.
Power Dynamos went on to win all Cup competitions in 1990 to set up the famous 1991 treble when the Club won its second league title, the Champion of Champions Cup and finally realised the dream of conquering Africa. Power Dynamos became the first club in Southern Africa to win a continental trophy after defeating BCC Lions of Nigeria to win the 1991 African Cup Winners’ Cup. The 1990 achievements earned the club the name “Power 90”.
Mwila’s remarkable achievement with Power Dynamos in 1991 is yet to be broken. No club and no coach has beaten this record.
Freddie Mwila’s record at Power earned him recognition at national level. He was appointed National Team Assistant Coach to Samuel “Zoom” Ndhlovu and was part of the bench that won bronze at the 1990 AFCON in Algeria and reached the quarter-finals at the 1992 AFCON in Senegal.
He left Power Dynamos in 1992 after getting an appointment as Head Coach for the Botswana National Team. After the 1993 Gabon Air Disaster, Mwila placed patriotism ahead of his lucrative job in Botswana. He returned home to take up the task to rebuild the national team.
When everyone expected Zambia to pick prominent players who were part of the squad that perished in Gabon, Mwila’s approach was different. He decided to create competition between players from the Copperbelt and the Midlands to select the new team. A series of games were played in Lusaka and the Copperbelt and a new squad emerged from the ashes. Mwila had an opportunity to camp his team in Denmark where he was joined by Danish Coach Roald Poulsen.
Zambia was ready to continue with the qualifiers. The new team under Mwila beat giants Morocco and Senegal at home and lost a chance to qualify to the USA ’94 World Cup after losing 1-0 away in Morocco. Zambia went on to qualify to the Tunisia ’94 AFCON after a tough 1-1 draw away in Zimbabwe. Surprisingly, after doing the donkey work, Mwila was not part of the 1994 AFCON bench in Tunisia and he returned to Botswana.
Mwila returned to Zambia in 1997 when he was reappointed Chipolopolo Head Coach. He had to quit his role as Botswana Coach. A screaming headline in local tabloids read “I am Game – Mwila” to confirm his availability to coach Zambia.
Mwila , the England , Brazil and Germany trained tactician also coached a number of local clubs among them Nkwazi FC, Lusaka Dynamos FC and Zanaco FC. He also coached clubs in the South African PSL and Botswana.
Many footballers who worked under him will remember him for his toughness and jovial character. Freddie Mwila spoke his mind and with him all his players were equal and he treated them the same way. At Arthur Davies Stadium everyone called him ‘Ichiwa’ and people had to be on their toes when he drove in with his famous Peugeot 504. He was tough even to his own sons Fred Mwila Jr and Melvin Mwila. Both played for his team Circuit Chiefs and later joined him at Power Dynamos.
In recognition of his immense contribution to Zambian football and Power Dynamos FC, His Excellency the 6th President of the Republic of Zambia, the late Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, bestowed the Insignia of Meritorious Achievement on Fred Mwila at State House during the Investiture Ceremony held on Saturday, 25th May 2019.
Freddie Mwila died at the age of 80, on Monday, 02 November 2026, at Maina Soko Medical Centre after an illness. MHSRIP.
