Johnson Bwalya
Encyclopedia
Johnson Bwalya is a Zambia
n former footballer. He played for the Zambian national team
and represented the country at the Olympics.
, Bwalya attended Kantanshi Secondary school and began his career at hometown club Butondo Western Tigers. In 1986 he joined Mufulira Wanderers, winning Footballer of the Year in his first season at the club. At the end of the season he signed for Swiss club FC Fribourg
.
He later played for FC Zürich, FC Bulle
, SC Kriens
and FC Sion
.
Upon his recovery, Bwalya regained his form and won back his place in the national team and was to join up with the team for the Senegal game only to learn that the plane carrying the team had plunged into the sea in the Gabon disaster. When a new team was assembled it was Bwalya and Kalusha that led the team, both of them scoring in a match against Morocco with Bwalya getting the winning goal with a 25 metre thunderbolt in 2-1 win.
Bwalya was part of the team that reached the final of 1994 CAN in Tunisia and was stand in captain in Kalusha's absence as the team also qualified to the 1996 CAN in South Africa where they lost to Tunisia in the Semi-finals.
At the 1996 Cup of Nations in South Africa, Bwalya was part of a Zambian team which won the bronze medal, scoring 15 goals in the process and demolishing Egypt 3-1 in a come from behind quarter-final victory.
In 1997, Zambia drew a World Cup qualifier with South Africa 0-0 at Independence Stadium in Lusaka amid reports of a falling out between Bwalya and Kalusha Bwalya
, with Bwalya unhappy with the latter's influence on team selection. Later that year, Bwalya as captain led Zambia and lifted the inaugural COSAFA Castle Cup.
When new coach German Burkhard Ziese
took over the reins of the national team in late 1997, he accused Bwalya of having the wrong attitude by not attending a team meeting and dropped him from the team travelling to CAN 1998 where Zambia were knocked out in the group stages.
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
n former footballer. He played for the Zambian national team
Zambia national football team
The Zambia national football team represents the country of Zambia in the sport of association football and is governed by the Football Association of Zambia. Before independence they were known as the Northern Rhodesia national football team. The side is nicknamed Chipolopolo as copper is one of...
and represented the country at the Olympics.
Domestic career
Born in MufuliraMufulira
Mufulira is a town in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. It grew up in the 1930s around the site of the Mufulira Copper Mine on its north-western edge...
, Bwalya attended Kantanshi Secondary school and began his career at hometown club Butondo Western Tigers. In 1986 he joined Mufulira Wanderers, winning Footballer of the Year in his first season at the club. At the end of the season he signed for Swiss club FC Fribourg
FC Fribourg
FC Fribourg is a Swiss football club from the town of Fribourg in Canton of Fribourg, the French-speaking region of Switzerland. The team currently plays in Liga 1., the third highest tier in the Swiss football pyramid.-History:...
.
He later played for FC Zürich, FC Bulle
FC Bulle
FC Bulle is a Swiss football club, based in Bulle. Their home ground is the Stade de Bouleyres.- Current squad :-External links:*...
, SC Kriens
SC Kriens
SC Kriens is a football club based in Kriens, Switzerland. It was founded in 1944. They play at the Kleinfeld Stadium. Their local rival is FC Lucerne-Current squad:-Famous players:...
and FC Sion
FC Sion
FC Sion is a Swiss football team from the city of Sion. The club was founded in 1909, and play their home games at the Stade Tourbillon. They have won the Swiss Super League twice, and the Swiss Cup in each of their twelve appearances in the final, the most recent being in 2011.The first team also...
.
International career
Bwalya made his debut for Zambia in April 1987 in an All Africa Games qualifier against Malawi in Lusaka and was part of the Zambian team that qualified to the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. He scored a goal in Zambia's 4-0 win against Italy on their way to becoming the first African team to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament. After slipping past a defender, Bwalya hit a wonderful shot from nearly 35 yards that swerved and dipped just under the crossbar. In the game against West Germany which Zambia lost 4-0, Bwalya got injured and would not feature for Zambia for the next 4 years.Upon his recovery, Bwalya regained his form and won back his place in the national team and was to join up with the team for the Senegal game only to learn that the plane carrying the team had plunged into the sea in the Gabon disaster. When a new team was assembled it was Bwalya and Kalusha that led the team, both of them scoring in a match against Morocco with Bwalya getting the winning goal with a 25 metre thunderbolt in 2-1 win.
Bwalya was part of the team that reached the final of 1994 CAN in Tunisia and was stand in captain in Kalusha's absence as the team also qualified to the 1996 CAN in South Africa where they lost to Tunisia in the Semi-finals.
At the 1996 Cup of Nations in South Africa, Bwalya was part of a Zambian team which won the bronze medal, scoring 15 goals in the process and demolishing Egypt 3-1 in a come from behind quarter-final victory.
In 1997, Zambia drew a World Cup qualifier with South Africa 0-0 at Independence Stadium in Lusaka amid reports of a falling out between Bwalya and Kalusha Bwalya
Kalusha Bwalya
Kalusha Bwalya , known as simply Kalusha, is a Zambian footballer and coach. He is Zambia's most capped player, all-time top goalscorer, and is regarded as the greatest Zambian player to play the game...
, with Bwalya unhappy with the latter's influence on team selection. Later that year, Bwalya as captain led Zambia and lifted the inaugural COSAFA Castle Cup.
When new coach German Burkhard Ziese
Burkhard Ziese
Burkhard Ziese was a German football manager.- References :...
took over the reins of the national team in late 1997, he accused Bwalya of having the wrong attitude by not attending a team meeting and dropped him from the team travelling to CAN 1998 where Zambia were knocked out in the group stages.