Tout Puissant Mazembe, commonly referred to as TP Mazembe, is a Congolese professional football club based in Lubumbashi. They were the first African and the first outside of Europe and South America to play in a Club World Cup final, losing 3-0 against Inter Milan in the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup edition, finishing runners-up.
History Tout Puissant Mazembe, the first sports club from the Democratic Republic of the Congo with a value of at least $10 million, was originally founded by the Benedictine monks who directed the Institut Saint-Boniface school in Élisabethville (modern-day Lubumbashi) in Katanga Province. The missionaries originally decided in 1939 to established a football team for the students' Boy Scout troop, named Saint Georges FC, after the patron saint of the Scouting movement. This team affiliated itself directly in the first division of the Royal Federation of the Native Athletic Associations (Fédération Royale des Associations Sportives Indigènes, FRASI) founded by the Belgian King. At the end of the season, Holy Georges placed 3rd.
In 1944 the young scouts went on the road and FC St. Georges was rechristened Saint Paul F.C. Some years later, the incorporation of certain foreign elements in the Institute would make the missionaries abandon the team management. The team took the name of F.C. Englebert after its sponsor, a tire brand. The qualifier "Tout Puissant" (Almighty) was added to the club's name after it went undefeated in winning its first league title in 1966.
After the country's independence on 30 June 1960, Englebert restructured itself. In 1966, the team won a treble (national Championship, Coupe du Congo and Katanga Cup).
In 1967 and 1968, they won the African Cup of Champions. The team would be finalist four consecutive times from 1967 to 1970. Mazembe was the first team to successfully defend the African Champions Cup. This feat was finally repeated in 2003 and 2004 by Enyimba.
After 18 years of absence, it returned to the African scene thanks to 38-year-old governor Moïse Katumbi Chapwe, who owned the club.
In November 2009, the team won the CAF Champions League, the African championship for football clubs. Mazembe won against Heartland 2–2 on aggregate, winning on the away goals rule.
By winning the CAF Champions League, Mazembe qualified for the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup. In their first world championship match in the quarter-finals, they lost 2–1 to the Pohang Steelers from South Korea, despite taking the lead in the first half. Following a 3–2 defeat to Auckland City in the fifth place match, they finished the tournament in 6th place.
In 2010 they retained the 2010 CAF Champions League, and in December they became the first African side (and the first outside Europe and South America) to contest the final of the FIFA Club World Cup after defeating both Pachuca of Mexico 1–0 in the quarter-finals and Internacional of Brazil 2–0 in the semi-finals. In the final on 18 December, they were defeated 3–0 by Internazionale.
In 2015, TP Mazembe secured their fifth title in the competition after defeating USM Alger of Algeria 4–1 aggregate in the 2015 CAF Champions League final.
Women's football In 2020, a women's section of TP Mazembe was formed.
Crest and colours Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors +PeriodKit manufacturerShirt sponsorRef2008-09AdidasMCK Trucks2009-10Brasimba2010-16MCK Trucks2016-19Brasimba2019-20Sogam -2020-21Brasimba2021-22??2022-23SogamMCK Trucks2023-24SogamMCK Trucks2024-25SogamBrasimba2025-26SogamBrasimba
Honours
With 28 titles at national level and 11 at international level since 1966, TP Mazembe is currently the most successful club of the DRC with 39 titles.
Domestic Linafoot Champions (21): 1966, 1967, 1969, 1976, 1987, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2023–24, 2025–26, Congo Cup Champions (5): 1966, 1967, 1976, 1979, 2000 DR Congo Super Cup Champions (3): 2013, 2014, 2016 (Record)
Continental African Cup of Champions Clubs / CAF Champions League Champions (5): 1967, 1968, 2009, 2010, 2015 African Cup Winners' Cup Champions (1): 1980 CAF Confederation Cup Champions (2): 2016, 2017 CAF Super Cup Champions (3): 2010, 2011, 2016
Global FIFA Club World Cup Runners-up (1): 2010
Regional LIFKAT (Katanga Province) Champions (6): 1966, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011
EUFLU (Lubumbashi) Champions (19): 1947, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1986, 1988, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2011
Performance in CAF competitions African Cup of Champions Clubs / CAF Champions League: 25 appearances The club have 7 appearances in African Cup of Champions Clubs from 1967 to 1988 and 18 appearances in CAF Champions League from 2001 till now, having appeared in every edition since 2007.
1967 – Champion 1968 – Champion 1969 – Finalist 1970 – Finalist 1972 – Semi-finals 1977 – First Round 1988 – First Round 2001 – Group Stage 2002 – Semi-finals 2005 – Preliminary Round 2007 – Second Round 2008 – Group Stage 2009 – Champion 2010 – Champion 2011 – Disqualified in Second Round 2012 – Semi-finals 2013 – Second Round 2014 – Semi-finals 2015 – Champions 2016 – Second Round 2017 – First Round 2018 – Quarter-finals 2018–19 – Semi-finals 2019–20 – Quarter-finals 2020–21 – Group Stage
CAF Cup / CAF Confederation Cup: 7 appearances The club have 1 appearance in CAF Cup in 2000 and 6 appearances in CAF Confederation Cup from 2004 till now.
2000 – Second Round 2004 – First Round 2006 – disqualified in First Round 2007 – Group Stage 2013 – Finalist 2016 – Champion 2017 – Champion
CAF Cup Winners' Cup: 2 appearances 1980 – Champion 1981 – Second Round
CAF Super Cup: 5 appearances 2010 – Champion 2011 – Champion 2016 – Champion 2017 – Finalist 2018 – Finalist
Current squad
Notable former players
TopscorerLinafootCongo CupCAF CompetitionTotal Tresor Mputu165041206
For details on former players see :Category:TP Mazembe players.
See also
List of world champion football clubs and vice-world champions in football
References
External links
(archived 23 November 2009)