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| Essau Kanyenda at Mighty Wenderers in 2017 |
Essau "Black Black Mamba" Kanyenda's career began in 1998 in Nkhotakota. The teenage tall boy was scoring for Dangwa United FC like nobody's business. He then represented the Malawi national football team, under 17 at 1999 COSAFA tournament in South Africa.
Alongside another legend and ex-flames captain, Peter Mponda, the two found themselves playing in South Africa's premier Soccer League (PSL) at Jomo Sono FC from 2001 to 2003.
In 2003, Essau joined Russian football, employed by FC Rostov in the Premier League. He then dumped Rostov to greener pastures at Lokomotiv Moscow after he he became 3rd on the list of top scorers in 2005. His stint with at Lokomotiv was not to be remembered. He then rejoined Rostov in the December of 2007.
In 2008 the Black Mamba joined FC KAMAZ Naberezhnye Chelny, where he became a top goalscorer in his debut season.
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| Black Mamba at his home in UK |
He later on played for Rotor Volgograd and Dynamo Bryansk on loan.
In 2012, he was called to play for B93 in Denmark by the former Malawi national team boss, Kim Splidsboel.
In the same year, Black Mamba moved back to South Africa where he was signed by Polokwane City. He won numerous awards on his second stint in PSL before he moved back to Malawi where he won TNM Super League with Mighty Wenders in 2017 before he hanged his boots at the end of the same season
Essau had a permanent residency in UK where he stayed until his passing on 1st December, 2025.
Rest in peace, legend.
