N'Dinga Mbote

N´Dinga Mbote Amily (born 11 September 1966) is a Congolese retired footballer who played as a central midfielder.

Club career

Born in Kinshasa, Zaire, Mbote arrived at Vitória de Guimarães in Portugal at the age of only 20, signing from AS Vita Club. He played with the Minho side for one full decade, always competing in the top division and sharing teams with countryman Basaula Lemba during five seasons.

N'Dinga (as he was known in Portugal), helped Vitória to five UEFA Cup qualifications, his best season being 1990–91 when he played in all 38 games – the league was then composed of 20 teams – and scored two goals, for a final ninth place.

Mbote was the centerpiece of a scandal in Portuguese football that involved his team and Académica de Coimbra: after the 1987–88 campaign, Académica was relegated following an unsuccessful protest regarding an irregular use of the player. Following a lengthy judicial battle, the two clubs ceased their relations for decades.

International career

Mbote played for the Zaire national team during one decade, his debut coming in 1988. He appeared in three matches at the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations.