National sports hero mauled to death by his three dogs as wife found gruesome remains

13:57 ET, Sun, Oct 4, 2026 Updated: 14:00 ET, Sun, Oct 4, 2026

A Zambia soccer star was mauled to death by his three dogs in 2023 (Image: Getty)

The South African football community was left in mourning after former Zambia international Philemon Mulala died in January 2023 following a freak incident involving his dogs.

On January 7, 2023, Mulala was fatally attacked by his two Staffordshire pit bulls and an unidentified breed in the garden of his Lichtenberg, South Africa, estate during an electricity blackout. He was 60 years old.

Though Mulala’s wife, Lillian Chileshe, heard a commotion and barking on the other side of their home, she didn’t think much of it since the residence was situated on a busy street. “I didn’t know our three dogs were biting my husband to death,” Chileshe told police. “I was busy at the backyard.

“Yes, I heard the dogs barking, but I thought they were barking at people and cars passing by on the street, because our house is located on a very busy street.”

Chileshe eventually went searching for Mulala once the electricity was restored after loadshedding, only to find him lying dead on the ground. “When electricity was restored, I started looking for my husband and saw him lying motionless in the garden,” she added. “That was when I realized that he was bitten to death by the three dogs.”

Philemon Mulala died at the age of 60 (Image: X)

According to Chileshe, the family’s dogs never showed any signs of aggression before mauling Mulala to death. “We loved dogs. We never thought they would turn against us,” she said.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) removed the family’s three dogs from Mulala and Chileshe’s home. "It's such a tragic end," FAZ Spokesman Sydney Mungala told ESPN at the time. "Many who watched him, especially fans of Mufulira Wanderers, have been pouring out their grief. Many remember him from the national team days, where he won Zambia's first major post-independence silverware. [Since retiring] he had ventured into business in South Africa."

From 1984 to 1985, Mulala earned six caps and scored three goals for Zambia, most notably netting both goals during Chipolopolo’s 2-0 semifinal win over Kenya. He was additionally a member of the Zambia team that won the 1984 East and Central African Championship (CECAFA Cup), marking the country’s first major international football trophy.

"We remain with wonderful memories that the late Philemon honored us with on the pitch,” FAZ General Secretary Adrian Kashala said in an offiical statement to ESPN. "There is a lot that today's players can learn from the deceased's generation."

Mulala also played for Mufulira Wanderers in Zambia, as well as Cape Town Spurs, Kaizer Chiefs, Lenasia Dynamos, and Rangers Johannesburg in South Africa.

Former Chiefs and Dynamos star Marks Maponyane paid tribute to Mulala, describing his old teammate as “a very contradictory man or contrast in attitude. Very quiet as a person, but he was very strong and willing to play. He was sort of a staunch stocky striker.”