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Kalusha Bwalya

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Kalusha Bwalya
President of Football Association of Zambia (FAZ)
In office
2008–2016
Preceded byTeddy Mulonga
Succeeded byAndrew Kamanga
Personal details
Born (1963-08-16) 16 August 1963 (age 61)
Mufulira, Northern Rhodesia
NationalityZambian
OccupationFootballer (retired)
Football administrator
Association football career
Position(s) Forward, winger
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1979–1980 Mufulira Blackpool
1980–1985 Mufulira
1985–1989 Cercle Brugge 95 (30)
1989–1994 PSV Eindhoven 101 (25)
1994–1997 América 88 (21)
1997 Necaxa 17 (1)
1998 Al Wahda
1998 León 13 (1)
1999 Irapuato
1999 Veracruz
2000 Correcaminos 13 (5)
International career
1983–2004 Zambia[1] 87 (39)
Managerial career
2003–2006 Zambia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Kalusha Bwalya (born 16 August 1963) is a Zambian former professional footballer. He is Zambia's eighth-most[broken anchor] capped player and third on the list of all-time top goalscorers behind Godfrey Chitalu and Alex Chola. Kalusha was named African Footballer of the Year in 1988 by the magazine France Football and was nominated for the 1996 FIFA World Player of the Year where he was voted the 12th-best player in the world, the first to be nominated after playing the entire year for a non-European club.

His older brother Benjamin Bwalya played professional football, and his younger brother Joel Bwalya also played for Zambia.[2] His cousin is former Cardiff City and Welsh national team member Robert Earnshaw.

His career as a player, coach and president of the Football Association of Zambia is partly shown in the documentary film "Eighteam".[3]

On 20 March 2016, Kalusha lost the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) elections in an upset to businessman-turned football official Andrew Kamanga by 163 to 156 votes.[4]

In August 2018, the world soccer governing body FIFA banned Bwalya for two years from all football-related activities at both national and international level. The FIFA adjudicatory chamber of the independent Ethics Committee found him guilty of having violated article 16 (Confidentiality) and article 20 (Offering and accepting gifts and other benefits) of the FIFA Code of Ethics. It is alleged that Bwalya received a bribe in the form of a gift from Mohammed Bin Hammam, a Qatari official.[5] Kalusha is considered one of the greatest players in Zambian football history.[6]

Club career

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Bwalya's career in Europe began at Cercle Brugge in Belgium. In his first season, he was the club's top scorer and was twice voted supporters' player of the year. Such was his impact that Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven took him to the Eredivisie, and he describes winning the championship twice in 1990/91 and 1991/92, under Bobby Robson, as a career highlight.

He jokingly adds that: "Most of the time we played in the opponents half, because the team was so good. You know, we had Romario, Gerald Vanenburg, Eric Gerets, Wim Kieft and Hans van Breukelen and just to be with that group, to train with them day in, day out, was an experience."

Bwalya's next stop was Club America, to whom he moved in 1994. The Mexican club's home ground is the legendary Azteca, an arena of which the Zambian icon has very fond memories. As he told FIFA.com: "I am privileged to have played in the best stadium in the world – and to have been able to call it my home ground." The Mexico experience in general was cherished by Bwalya, who devoted almost eight years of his career to the country and recalls his time there as "probably the best of my life"[citation needed]. Despite his good performances at América and gaining a status of a fan favorite. Kalusha is also remembered for missing an empty net goal by striking the post against Cruz Azul.[7]

On the international front, his earliest achievement was arguably one of the most remarkable hat-tricks in modern football history, with three-times World Cup champions Italy on the receiving end in a 4–0 win for the Zambians at the 1988 Olympics. Bwalya acknowledges that the result was a surprise, but adds: "Zambia is a sleeping giant in a way. It is a small country in terms of football, but we were the first African team to beat a European power as convincingly as that."

International career

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Bwalya was a member of the national squad that participated at the 1988 Olympic Games, making his mark with a famous hat-trick in a 4–0 victory against Italy. At the full international level, he appeared in 87 international matches and scored 39 goals from 1983 to 2004. He debuted against Sudan in April 1983 at Dag Hammarskjoeld Stadium in a Cup of Nations qualifier in Ndola, and scored his first goal against Uganda in a World Cup qualifier the following year at the same venue. He has appeared in multiple tournaments, including six editions of the African Cup of Nations.

Although he was captain of the national football team during the qualification matches for the 1994 World Cup, Kalusha was not on the ill-fated flight on 28 April 1993 when the entire team and its management were killed when the plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off Gabon. As he was playing for PSV Eindhoven, his schedule had him flying from the Netherlands to Senegal to join the team instead of being on the team plane.[8][9] Kalusha took on the mantle of spearheading the revival of the national side the following year, captaining the side to the Runners-Up spot at the CAF African Nations Cup 1994 in Tunisia—where they succumbed to the Nigeria national team; this was to be the peak of his own career and Zambian football for a long time to come. The national team finished in 3rd place at the next edition of the Africa Cup in South Africa in 1996, with Kalusha winning the Golden Boot Award as the top scorer at the tournament.

He was a player-coach during the African 2006 World Cup qualification matches. On 5 September 2004, Zambia played Liberia, and the match was tied 0–0 minutes before the end. Kalusha, aged 41, came off the bench during the second half, scoring from a trademark direct free kick to give Zambia a 1–0 victory and the lead of Africa's Group 1.[10] However, Zambia finished third and failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup.

Despite the failure to qualify, Bwalya coached Zambia at the 2006 African Cup of Nations. Following their elimination in the first round, however, Bwalya resigned from his post. Kalusha's dream of holding the coveted AFCON trophy came 2012 when the Zambia National Football Team, which was underestimated by many football pundits upset the star-studded Ivory Coast to win the final of the 2012 tournament. As Zambian FA President, he joined the players and lifted the cup in a country where his former teammates perished in an aircraft disaster. This emotional story is narrated in the documentary film "Eighteam", directed by Juan Rodriguez-Briso.

He has nevertheless remained actively involved in international football, contributing to the 2006 World Cup as a member of FIFA's Technical Study Group. He was also one of the ambassadors of the 2010 World Cup which was held in South Africa.[11]

Administrative career

[edit]

Bwalya serves as a standing committee member at FIFA and the Confederation of African Football and as of 2008 was the president of the Football Association of Zambia from 2008 to 2016. He lost the FA presidency to Andrew Kamanga when he attempted a third term bid in office during the 2016 FAZ AGM.[12] Previously he was vice president.

In the first half of 2006, Bwalya resigned from his position as the Zambia coach but having served as vice president of the Football Association of Zambia until 2008, he was voted in to be president as of 2008. This was as a result of pressure from members of the Football Association of Zambia as well as the media. On 23 February 2008, he was elected into the CAF Executive Committee.

Career Statistics

[edit]

International goals

[edit]
Scores and results list Zambia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bwalya goal.
List of international goals scored by Kalusha Bwalya
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 29 July 1984 Ndola, Zambia  Uganda 3–0 3–0 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification [13]
2 8 March 1986 Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt  Cameroon 2–2 2–3 1986 Africa Cup of Nations [14]
3 5 April 1987 Lusaka, Zambia  Malawi – 3–1 1987 All-Africa Games [15]
4 17 January 1988 Independence Stadium, Lusaka, Zambia  Ghana – 2–0 1988 Summer Olympics qualification [16]
5 17 September 1988 Daejeon Hanbat Sports Complex, Daejeon, South Korea  Iraq 2–1 2–2 1988 Summer Olympics [17]
6 19 September 1988 Gwangju Mudeung Stadium, Gwangju, South Korea  Italy 1–0 4–0 1988 Summer Olympics [18]
7 2–0
8 4–0
9 21 September 1988 Gwangju Mudeung Stadium, Gwangju, South Korea  Guatemala 2–0 4–0 1988 Summer Olympics [19]
10 3–0
11 22 January 1989 Independence Stadium, Lusaka, Zambia  Zaire 4–1 4–2 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification [20]
12 25 June 1989 Independence Stadium, Lusaka, Zambia  Morocco 2–1 2–1 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification [21]
13 14 April 1991 Estádio da Cidadela, Luanda, Angola  Angola 1–0 2–1 1992 Africa Cup of Nations qualification [22]
14 14 July 1991 Independence Stadium, Lusaka, Zambia  Madagascar 2–0 2–1 1992 Africa Cup of Nations qualification [23]
15 13 January 1992 Stade Aline Sitoe Diatta, Ziguinchor, Senegal  Egypt 1–0 1–0 1992 Africa Cup of Nations [24]
16 16 January 1993 CCM Kirumba Stadium, Mwanza, Tanzania  Tanzania 1–0 3–1 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification [25]
17 30 January 1993 Independence Stadium, Lusaka, Zambia  Namibia 3–0 4–0 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification [26]
18 28 February 1993 Independence Stadium, Lusaka, Zambia  Madagascar 2–0 3–1 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification [27]
19 4 July 1993 Independence Stadium, Lusaka, Zambia  Morocco 1–1 2–1 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification [28]
20 11 July 1993 Independence Stadium, Lusaka, Zambia  South Africa 2–0 3–0 1994 Africa Cup of Nations qualification [29]
21 25 July 1993 National Sports Stadium, Harare, Zimbabwe  Zimbabwe 1–1 1–1 1994 Africa Cup of Nations qualification [30]
22 26 September 1993 Independence Stadium, Lusaka, Zambia  Senegal 4–0 4–0 1994 Africa Cup of Nations qualification [31]
23 6 April 1994 El Menzah Stadium, Tunis, Tunisia  Mali 3–0 4–0 1994 Africa Cup of Nations [32]
24 9 January 1995 Stade George V, Curepipe, Mauritius  Mauritius 1–0 3–0 1996 Africa Cup of Nations qualification [33]
25 3–0
26 8 April 1995 Independence Stadium, Lusaka, Zambia  Gabon 1–0 1–0 1996 Africa Cup of Nations qualification [34]
27 20 January 1996 Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa  Burkina Faso 2–0 5–1 1996 Africa Cup of Nations [35]
28 3–0
29 24 January 1996 Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa  Sierra Leone 1–0 4–0 1996 Africa Cup of Nations [36]
30 2–0
31 3–0
32 17 February 1998 Stade Général Aboubacar Sangoulé Lamizana, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso  Mozambique 2–0 3–1 1998 Africa Cup of Nations [37]
33 1 February 2000 Lagos National Stadium, Lagos, Nigeria  Senegal 2–2 2–2 2000 Africa Cup of Nations [38]
34 31 July 2004 Independence Stadium, Lusaka, Zambia  Mauritius 3–1 3–1 2004 COSAFA Cup [39]
35 4 September 2004 Independence Stadium, Lusaka, Zambia  Liberia 1–0 1–0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification [40]

Honours

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Mufulira Wanderers

PSV

Individual

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Kalusha Bwalya – International Goals rsssf.org
  2. ^ Football, CAF-Confedération Africaine du. "Joel Bwalya, Kalusha's often forgotten brother". CAFOnline.com.
  3. ^ "Eighteam (2014) – IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  4. ^ "Kalusha Bwalya unseated as Zambia FA president by Andrew Kamanga". BBC Sport. 20 March 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  5. ^ Editor, EABW (10 August 2018). "Zambian Legend Kalusha Bwalya banned from football by FIFA". East African Business Week. Retrieved 19 May 2021. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  6. ^ Oludare, Shina (28 April 2020). "'Their dreams are our dreams' – Bwalya in moving tribute to Zambia's late heroes". Goal. Retrieved 28 May 2021. the Zambian football great
  7. ^ Navarro, Juan Carlos (27 March 2018). "¿Qué fue de Kalusha? El jugador que falló un gol insólito ante Cruz Azul". Diario AS (in Mexican Spanish). Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  8. ^ Bwalya, Kalusha (28 April 2003). "Kalusha reflects on tragedy". BBC News.
  9. ^ Djazmi, Mani (10 February 2012). "Zambian footballers remember a lost generation of players". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 February 2012.
  10. ^ "Late winner puts Zambia top" Archived 6 May 2006 at the Wayback Machine – liberiansoccer.com
  11. ^ Russell, Jesse (October 2011). Kalusha Bwalya (Paperback). United States: VSD (1 Jan 2013. ISBN 978-6137279366.
  12. ^ "Football Association of Zambia (FAZ)". Retrieved 23 May 2018 – via Facebook.
  13. ^ "Zambia vs. Uganda". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  14. ^ "Cameroon vs. Zambia". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  15. ^ "Zambia vs. Malawi". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  16. ^ "Zambia vs. Ghana". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  17. ^ "Zambia vs. Iraq". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  18. ^ "Zambia vs. Italy (Olympic)". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  19. ^ "Zambia vs. Guatemala". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  20. ^ "Zambia vs. Zaire". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  21. ^ "Zambia vs. Morocco". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  22. ^ "Angola vs. Zambia". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  23. ^ "Zambia vs. Madagascar". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  24. ^ "Zambia vs. Egypt". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  25. ^ "Tanzania vs. Zambia". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  26. ^ "Zambia vs. Namibia". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  27. ^ "Zambia vs. Madagascar". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  28. ^ "Zambia vs. Morocco". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  29. ^ "Zambia vs. South Africa". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  30. ^ "Zimbabwe vs. Zambia". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  31. ^ "Zambia vs. Senegal". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  32. ^ "Zambia vs. Mali". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  33. ^ "Mauritus vs. Zambia". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  34. ^ "Zambia vs. Gabon". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  35. ^ "Zambia vs. Burkina Faso". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  36. ^ "Zambia vs. Sierra Leone". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  37. ^ "Zambia vs. Mozambique". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  38. ^ "Zambia vs. Senegal". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  39. ^ "Zambia vs. Mauritus". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  40. ^ "Zambia vs. Liberia". National Football Teams. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
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