View source for Clifford Mulenga

{{short description|Zambian footballer (born 1987)}}
{{BLP sources|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Clifford Mulenga
| image = 
| fullname = Clifford Mulenga<ref name="FIFA">{{Cite web |title=FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2007 – List of Players |url=http://www.fifadata.com/document/FWYC/2007/pdf/FWYC_2007_SquadLists.pdf |publisher=FIFA |page=24 |date=5 July 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231000046/http://www.fifadata.com/document/FWYC/2007/pdf/FWYC_2007_SquadLists.pdf |archive-date=31 December 2013}}</ref>
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|8|5|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Kabompo]], Zambia
| height = 1.69 m<ref name="nft"/>
| currentclub = [[Forest Rangers F.C.]]
| clubnumber = 
| position = [[Winger (association football)|Left winger]]
| youthyears1 = 
| youthclubs1 = Chiparamba Great Eagles
| years1 = 2004–2008
| clubs1 = [[University of Pretoria F.C.]]
| caps1 = 57
| goals1 = 9
| years2 = 2005
| clubs2 = → [[Örgryte IS]] (loan)
| caps2 = 11
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2008–2009
| clubs3 = [[Bidvest Wits F.C.|Bidvest Wits]]
| caps3 = 11
| goals3 = 1
| years4 = 2009
| clubs4 = → [[Thanda Royal Zulu]] (loan)
| caps4 = 11
| goals4 = 4
| years5 = 2009–2010
| clubs5 = [[Mpumalanga Black Aces F.C.|Mpumalanga Black Aces]]
| caps5 = 22
| goals5 = 7
| years6 = 2010–2012
| clubs6 = [[Bloemfontein Celtic F.C.|Bloemfontein Celtic]]
| caps6 = 43
| goals6 = 7
| years7 = 2012–2013
| clubs7 = [[SuperSport United F.C.|SuperSport United]]
| caps7 = 12
| goals7 = 2
| years8 = 2013–2014
| clubs8 = [[Mpumalanga Black Aces F.C.|Mpumalanga Black Aces]]
| caps8 = 15
| goals8 = 1
| years9 = 2014–2015
| clubs9 = [[Ajax Cape Town F.C.|Ajax Cape Town]]
| caps9 = 10
| goals9 = 0
| years10 = 2015
| clubs10 = [[ZESCO United F.C.|ZESCO United]]
| caps10 = 
| goals10 = 
| years11 = 2015–2016
| clubs11 = [[Moroka Swallows F.C.|Moroka Swallows]]
| caps11 = 7
| goals11 = 2
| years12 = 2016–2017
| clubs12 = [[Mbombela United F.C.|Mbombela United]]
| caps12 = 22
| goals12 = 12
| years13 = 2017–2018
| clubs13 = [[Jomo Cosmos F.C.|Jomo Cosmos]]
| caps13 = 17
| goals13 = 5
| years14 = 2020-
| clubs14 = [[Forest Rangers F.C.]]
| nationalyears1 = 2005–2012
| nationalteam1 = [[Zambia national football team|Zambia]]
| nationalcaps1 = 28
| nationalgoals1 = 4
| club-update = 08:46, 19 August 2020 (UTC)
}}

'''Clifford Mulenga''' (born 5 August 1987) is a Zambian professional [[Association football|footballer]] who plays as a [[Winger (association football)|left winger]] for [[Forest Rangers F.C.]]<ref name="nft">{{cite web|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/11739/Clifford_Mulenga.html|title=Mulenga, Clifford|publisher=National Football Teams|accessdate=21 June 2018}}</ref>

==Career==
Mulenga was born in [[Kabompo]], Zambia.

was part of the [[Zambia national football team|Zambian]] [[2006 African Nations Cup]] team who finished third in group C in the first round of competition, thus failing to secure qualification for the quarter-finals.<ref name="youthvillagezm.com">{{Cite web|title=10 Things You Didn't Know About Clifford Mulenga {{!}} Youth Village Zambia|url=https://youthvillagezm.com/2019/06/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-clifford-mulenga/|access-date=2021-05-20|language=en-GB}}</ref>{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}

Mulenga is known to be a quick and creative winger whose qualities have been praised as rare and akin to Zambian great [[Kalusha Bwalya]]. When playing for the Zambian U-20s he caught the eye of several European clubs most notably Spanish giants [[Real Madrid]] and [[PSV Eindhoven]]. His silky skills were demonstrated especially against the Nigerian U-20s at the African Youth Championships when his team lost in the semi-finals, a game which saw him give a man of the match performance only to be blighted by receiving a red card as a result of a petulant altercation with one of his opponents.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}
 
Prior to the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations a dispute arose as to which club Mulenga belonged to [[University of Pretoria F.C.]] claimed he was on their books however he caused controversy with the Zambian press when the nation's football authority FAZ, announced he was to join Israeli side [[Maccabi Petah Tikva F.C.|Maccabi Petah Tikva]] from [[Örgryte IS]] the Swedish side which acquired him on loan from the University of Pretoria.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}

On 2 February 2008, Mulenga was named The 2007 Glo-CAF Young Player of the Year beating off competition from Congo Brazzaville's [[Franchel Ibara]] and Nigeria's [[Oseni Gani]] both of whom have been touted as future African stars.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Clifford Mulenga|url=https://frontend/topic/Clifford_Mulenga|access-date=2021-05-20|website=frontend}}</ref>{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}

The deal with Maccabi Petach Tikva fell through and he signed for Premier Soccer league team [[Bidvest Wits F.C.|Bidvest Wits]]. In July 2009 he was trial by Maccabi Petach Tikva again but the club decided to not sign him.<ref name="youthvillagezm.com"/>{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}} He consequently signed for the [[Mpumalanga Black Aces F.C.|Mpumalanga Black Aces]].

He has also played for [[Bloemfontein Celtic F.C.|Bloemfontein Celtic]] and [[SuperSport United F.C.|SuperSport United]].

Mulenga returned Mpumalanga Black Aces in September 2013 on a three-year contract.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mulenga on why he joined Aces|date=October 2013|url=http://www.kickoff.com/news/37695/clifford-mulenga-joins-mpumalanga-black-aces|publisher=KickOff|accessdate=1 October 2013}}</ref> In August 2014, he signs a contract with [[Ajax Cape Town F.C.|Ajax Cape Town]] for one season.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.lusakatimes.com/2014/08/08/clifford-mulenga-joins-ajax-cape-town|title=Zambia : Clifford Mulenga joins Ajax Cape Town|date=8 August 2014|work=LusakaTimes.com|access-date=27 March 2018|language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Career statistics==
:''Scores and results list Zambia's goal tally first.''<ref name="nft"/>

{| class="wikitable"
! No. !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
|-
| 1. || 1 June 2005 || [[FNB Stadium]], [[Johannesburg]], South Africa || {{fb|GAB}} || align="center" | 1–0 || align="center" | 1–0 || [[Exhibition game|Friendly]]
|-
| 2. || 25 May 2008 || [[Azadi Stadium]], [[Tehran]], Iran || {{fb|IRN}} || align="center" | 1–2 || align="center" | 2–3 || Friendly
|-
| 3. || 17 January 2010 || [[Estádio Nacional da Tundavala]], [[Lubango]], Angola || {{fb|CMR}} || align="center" | 1–0 || align="center" | 2–3 || [[2010 Africa Cup of Nations knockout stage|2010 Africa Cup of Nations]]
|-
| 4. || 9 February 2011 || [[Mavuso Sports Centre]], [[Manzini, Swaziland|Manzini]], Swaziland || {{fb|SWZ|name=Swaziland}} || align="center" | 4–0 || align="center" | 4–0 || Friendly 
|}

==Honours==
'''Zambia'''
*[[Africa Cup of Nations]]: [[2012 Africa Cup of Nations|2012]]

'''Individual'''
* [[CAF Awards|Glo-CAF Young Player of the Year]]: 2007

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{NFT|11739}}

{{CAF Most Promising Talent of the Year}}
{{Navboxes
|title=Zambia squads
|bg=#008000
|fg=#FF8000
|list1={{Zambia squad 2006 Africa Cup of Nations}}
{{Zambia squad 2008 Africa Cup of Nations}}
{{Zambia squad 2010 Africa Cup of Nations}}
{{Zambia squad 2012 Africa Cup of Nations}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mulenga, Clifford}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1987 births]]
[[Category:People from Kabompo District]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:Zambian men's footballers]]
[[Category:21st-century Zambian sportsmen]]
[[Category:Zambia men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Africa Cup of Nations–winning players]]
[[Category:2006 Africa Cup of Nations players]]
[[Category:2008 Africa Cup of Nations players]]
[[Category:2010 Africa Cup of Nations players]]
[[Category:2012 Africa Cup of Nations players]]
[[Category:Allsvenskan players]]
[[Category:University of Pretoria F.C. players]]
[[Category:Örgryte IS players]]
[[Category:Bidvest Wits F.C. players]]
[[Category:Thanda Royal Zulu F.C. players]]
[[Category:Bloemfontein Celtic F.C. players]]
[[Category:SuperSport United F.C. players]]
[[Category:Cape Town Spurs F.C. players]]
[[Category:ZESCO United F.C. players]]
[[Category:Moroka Swallows F.C. players]]
[[Category:Mbombela United F.C. players]]
[[Category:Zambian expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in South Africa]]
[[Category:Zambian expatriate sportspeople in South Africa]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Sweden]]
[[Category:Zambian expatriate sportspeople in Sweden]]