If there is one man who encapsulates TP Mazembe’s stunning campaign at the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2010™, it’s Robert Kidiaba. The Congolese keeper made his mark on the tournament with some superb saves, an eye-catching look and some legendary goal celebrations.

Kidiaba hung up his gloves in 2016, moving away from football and into politics. Now 47, he is a provincial representative for the district of Lubumbashi, the city where he grew up and built his legend with his hometown club, and is currently campaigning for a second term.

Taking time off from political rallies, the three-time African champion sat down for an interview with FIFA and looked back on his former club’s charge to second place at UAE 2010.

FIFA: We can’t go back to 2010 without first talking about what happened the year before, when TP Mazembe became African champions and qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time. What memories do you have of that debut tournament?
Robert Kidiaba: We went there to learn, at least that was what our coach, Diego Garzitto, kept hammering home to us. We didn’t just want to make up the numbers, though. Looking back, I think we could have gone further (Mazembe lost 2-1 to Pohang Steelers in the quarter-finals), but we made a lot of mistakes, which was all part of the learning process.

You won the African title again in 2010 to reach the Club World Cup for the second time in a row. What was the feeling in the team heading into that competition?
Ghana’s run at the 2010 World Cup a few months earlier was a source of inspiration for us. We said that we had to continue that feelgood factor and that we had to do better in representing Africa. We had the same group of players as in 2009, but we were more ambitious. Ghana showed us it was possible, that we could make history for our country at a World Cup.Was the appointment of Lamine N’Diaye as coach a turning point?
Yes. Lamine N’Diaye had just taken charge of the team. He motivated us in a way that I’ve rarely seen before, and that worked in our favour too. He’d often say, “You’re just as good as the other teams. The time has come to show the world who Tout Puissant Mazembe are and to have faith in yourselves. It’s time to believe.” He could have kept those words just for us, but he said them again and again at press conferences and interviews. We couldn’t let him down.

He made quite an impression on you, didn’t he?
Let me tell you a story. When we arrived in Abu Dhabi, the coach had a little chat with us. He was really pumped up and he finished off by saying, ‘Boys, if you want, you can go and see the sights and do some shopping.’ I can tell you that no-one left the hotel because of what he’d said and the way in which he’d backed us. We realised we had to go out and perform.

You started off with a 1-0 defeat of Mexican side Pachuca and then beat Internacional of Brazil 2-0. Why were Mazembe so impressive at that tournament?
We really stuck together and we talked with each other the whole time. There might have been some problems between us but we sorted them out without taking them to the coach. We all wanted the same thing: to win. We also knew each other inside out, because we’d been playing together for years and things were just second nature to us. We were a pretty mischievous bunch too. Now that time’s gone by, I can let you in on a little secret. We were all on a diet during the tournament, in front of the coach at least. We’d sit there eating pasta without any sauce, but as soon as his back was turned we’d make these dishes full of protein, like fufu! (laughs).
All behind your coach’s back?
One of us was the designated fufu maker, and at around 10 in the evening their room-mate would walk down the corridors shouting ‘both sides’. It was a code that meant the fufu was ready and that everyone was invited to share this delicious dish. We got together to eat and made sure to wash the plates because we couldn’t leave any trace in case the coach saw (laughs). It definitely brought us closer together.

You came up against Inter Milan and Samuel Eto’o in the final and went down 3-0. You had a long chat with him at the end of the game. What did he say to you?
We really wanted to win and take the trophy back to Lubumbashi, but then reality dawned on the pitch. We were so disappointed. Samuel Eto’o comforted us and gave us lots of encouragement. He said, ‘Just because you lost today doesn’t mean you’re going to lose tomorrow. You’re a great club and you’ve shown that we can have big clubs in Africa.’ He also said we were role models for young people in Africa and that we should be proud of ourselves.

Mention the name Robert Kidiaba and one thing that immediately comes to mind is your goal celebration. Can you explain that unique dance to us?
(laughs) I’m a believer and to me it’s just inspiration from above. I never thought for a minute that the celebration would become a thing. That dance went around the world. I get lots of Congolese people doing it when they see me. The secret to doing it? You need good abs.