| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Richard Mapuata N'Kiambi Esola | ||
| Date of birth | 27 February 1965 | ||
| Place of birth | Léopoldville, DR Congo | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| –1985 | CS Imana | ||
| 1985–1986 | Standard Liège | ||
| 1986–1988 | Belenenses | 51 | (21) |
| 1988–1990 | Bellinzona | ||
| 1990–1991 | Aarau | ||
| International career | |||
| Zaire | |||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Richard Mapuata N'Kiambi Esola (born 27 February 1965) is a Congolese former professional footballer who played as a forward. He represented the Zaire national team at international level. [1]
Born in Kinshasa, Mapuata began his career with Cercle Sportif Imana. He moved to play in the Belgian Pro League at the age of 20, signing with Standard Liège. [2] One year later, he joined Primeira Liga side Os Belenenses for two seasons. While with Belenenses, Mapuata scored the goal in a famous UEFA Cup victory against Barcelona. [3]
He finished his playing career in the Swiss first division, playing for AC Bellinzona and FC Aarau.
Mapuata played for Zaire at the 1988 [4] Africa Cup of Nations finals.
His son, Cédric, [5] is a retired professional footballer.
His other son, Richaross Grüninger, is the star of the SFT Tigers Lugano, known for his skills from three points.
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