Dieumerci Mukoko: When Kasarani Hosted Prequel to Soweto’s Drama

Six years ago, Dieumerci Mukoko quietly strolled into the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, wearing the red of DC Motema Pembe. 

It was October 27, 2019 — a sunny Nairobi Sunday, the kind that makes football feel like gospel. Gor Mahia fans came in green waves, expecting goals, drama, and maybe a little heartbreak.

But none of them, not even the most prophetic of fans , could have predicted that the calm, dreadlocked right-back warming up on the far touchline would one day headline a football soap opera in Soweto.

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That day, Mukoko was a soldier, not a showman. His performance was steady, disciplined, and largely unremarkable. He swung in a few crosses, thumped a few clearances, and even rattled the crossbar once, but there were no theatrics, no Oscar-worthy tumbles, no crowd-taunting celebrations. If he’d had a script, it was the type you forget right after watching: solid but forgettable.

The highlight of the day belonged to Gor Mahia’s David Mapigano, who saved a penalty like a superhero in gloves, ensuring a 1–1 draw against Motema Pembe. Mukoko’s name was mentioned only in passing, a right-back with potential, a player who might grow into something. Little did anyone know that six years later, that same quiet defender would evolve into African football’s full-time drama department.

Fast forward to October 2025, and Mokoko was no longer just a footballer. He was the headline, the camera, and the script all in one. In Soweto, during Orlando Pirates’ ill-fated CAF Champions League qualifier against Saint-Eloi Lupopo, Mukoko transformed the pitch into his personal movie set. He wrestled the ball like a man in a WWE audition, pressed his forehead into an opponent with the seriousness of a Shakespearean actor, and then fell to the ground like he’d been shot by invisible lightning.

It is hard to reconcile the two Mukoko, the quiet professional from 2019 and the flamboyant football thespian of 2025. Back then, he was all business. Now, he is in business. Against Pirates, Mukoko was not just playing; he was performing. The man made Kaizer Chiefs fans laugh, Orlando Pirates fans cry, and CAF officials reached for their rule books in confusion.

In 2019, his boots did the talking. In 2025, his eyebrows, hands, and every follicle of his dreadlocks joined the conversation. He has become African football’s most entertaining villain — the kind who frustrates opponents but fills stadiums. The kind who might get booed by one half of the crowd and cheered by the other — both for the same reason: he is pure theatre.

His evolution could fill a documentary: From Right-Back to Ringleader — The Dieumerci Mukoko Story. From missing out on fame at Kasarani to stealing the spotlight in Soweto, Mukoko’s career arc is what happens when talent meets personality and decides to take the scenic route.

Six years ago, he was a player trying to impress scouts. Today, he’s a player making referees famous by association. From the quiet of Kasarani to the chaos of Johannesburg, Dieumerci Mukoko  has turned football into an art form — half sport, half drama, and all entertainment.

So if you ever find yourself watching a Lupopo match and see Mukoko jogging toward a confrontation, do not  blink. You might miss the best part of the show.