Wa Ganyu
If we had powers, we could ask for the Malawi flag to fly at half mast. Because today, football, the fans and its gods bow heads in respect for Esau ‘Black Mamba’ Kanyenda, a striker whose presence, pace, and passion lifted the spirit of the black, red, green and rising sun, etching his name into the heart of hearts of the beautiful game. ‘We are broken’ doesn’t fully capture the scale and gravity of our sadness.
At 43, we are justified to mourn that Kanyenda has died young.
Born on 27 September 1982, Kanyenda rose from humble beginnings to become one of Malawi’s most decorated and admired footballers of his generation. His story, beyond the tap-ins and headers, was preceded by courage, character, and the unshakeable belief that even a boy from the small, dusty villages of Malawi could scale the rooftops of world football.
From the dust to the world’s grand stages
Having lost his mother at a tender age, football gave Kanyenda some comfort and purpose. First with FC Welfare in the Central Region Football League, he moved to the then Dwasco (1999-2001), where all the people around Nkhotakota heard of the little skinny kid scoring goals for fun against men the size of his uncle.
He was a talent too impossible to ignore. When Malawi Under 17 gave him a chance for the 1999 Cosafa tournament alongside future Flames stalwart and captain, Peter Mponda, Kanyenda shone bright. Legendary football scout, Jomo Sono who owned Jomo Cosmos in South Africa saw gold at first sight. And he was not wrong.
The young man took the Premier Soccer League and he blossomed by storm. Kanyenda scored 11 goals in seven consecutive league matches, including a hat-trick and two braces for Jomo Cosmos in the 2001/02 season. No other PSL player has achieved this feat since then.
With 26 goals in 46 appearances, South Africans knew he was made of something different. And they first nicknamed him the ‘Black Mamba’, a predator blessed with blistering speed, deadly precision, and a quiet, cold-blooded ruthlessness in front of goal.
The Malawian who made history in Europe
Soon, Kanyenda overgrew the South African league. He embarked on a journey that no Malawian had walked before. His move to Russia, first with FC Rostov, later with Lokomotiv Moscow, seen in reverse, was that of the ‘road less travelled’.
With Lokomotiv, he achieved what remains a solitary milestone in Malawi’s football history:
He became the only Malawian ever to feature in the UEFA Champions League.
In that moment, he did not merely play for himself. He carried a flag, a people, and a dream onto Europe’s most prestigious stage.
A Servant of the Flames
For 15 years, from 2000 to 2015, Kanyenda represented the Malawi Flames, with his debut against neighbours Zambia, on March 12. 72 caps, 22 goals, and countless moments of hope delivered when the nation needed them most in their oversized jerseys of old.
He was integral to Malawi’s return to the Africa Cup of Nations in 2010, a symbol of the Flames’ resilience and the heartbeat of Malawi’s footballing ambition.
As soccer analyst George Chiusiwa movingly captured, describing Kanyenda as the best striker Malawi has produced in recent years.
“The Black Mamba could vent venom in front of the goal without any mercy. One of the best Malawian sons to have graced the PSL in the Rainbow Nation who also stands out as one of the best football imports to South Africa in the past three decades,’ he said.”
Such praise is not lightly given, and rarely so deserved.
As a Nomad
After winning numerous trophies with Polokwane City in South Africa, 2012, Kanyenda decided to return home and joined Mighty Mukuru Wanderers.
It was Wanderers former team manager Steve Madeira who approached him to join Nomads and he bagged goals helping them to win TNM Super in 2017.
Kanyenda joined Wanderers when they had stayed 8 years without winning the league. The last time for the Nomads to win the league was in 2006 but managed to give them a league in 2017 with his 11 goals. Since then, the league has never visited Lali Lubani.
The Man Behind the Legend
Beyond the goals, beyond the accolades, stood a man defined by humility. Despite his global success, Kanyenda never distanced himself from home. He remained connected to the communities that raised him, the young players who idolised him, and the supporters who chanted his name from dusty pitches to international stadiums.
Those who knew him speak of a gentle humour, a generous heart, and an unwavering loyalty to friends, family, and country.
A legacy carved in bright, bold lines
Esau Kanyenda leaves behind more than statistics. He leaves behind belief. He proved that Malawi can produce excellence, that talent can emerge from unexpected places, and that football, at its best, is a story of humanity as much as of skill.
