Kalusha Bwalya
Encyclopedia
Kalusha Bwalya known as simply Kalusha, is a Zambia
n 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. He 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.
His older brother Benjamin Bwalya played professional football, and his younger brother Joel Bwalya also played for the Zambia national football team
.
, making his mark with a most famous hat-trick
in a 4-0 victory against Italy
. At the full international level, he appeared in 147 international matches and scored 100 goals from 1983 to 2004. He debuted against Uganda
in 1983, and 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 April 27, 1993 when the entire team and its management were killed when the plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean
off Gabon
. Kalusha Bwalya, Africa's most famous "Number 11", 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 Super Eagles of Nigeria
; 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 jointly winning the Golden Boot Award as the topscorer at the tournament.
He was a player-coach during the Africa
n 2006 World Cup qualification matches
. On September 5, 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, and marked his 147th appearance with his 100th goal for the country, scoring from a trademark direct free kick
to give Zambia a 1-0 victory and the lead of Africa's Group 1. 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.
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.
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".
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."
and the Confederation of African Football
and as of 2008 is the president of the Football Association of Zambia
. 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. As of May 2008 Hervé Renard was the coach of the Zambia National Soccer Team.
His now football association of Zambia since 2008 and on 23rd February he was elected as CAF executive commit member.
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 footballer and coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
. He is Zambia's most capped
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
player, all-time top goalscorer, and is regarded as the greatest Zambian
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...
player to play the game. He was named African Footballer of the Year in 1988 by the magazine France Football
France Football
France Football is a French bi-weekly magazine containing football news from all over the world. It's one of the most reputable sports publications in Europe, mostly because of their photographic reports and accurate statistics of the big European Cup matches, and extensive coverage of the European...
, and was nominated for the 1996 FIFA World Player of the Year
1996 FIFA World Player of the Year
The 1996 FIFA World Player of the Year award was won by Ronaldo, the youngest player to ever win the award aged just 20.-Results:-See also:...
where he was voted the 12th-best player in the world.
His older brother Benjamin Bwalya played professional football, and his younger brother Joel Bwalya also played for the Zambia national football 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...
.
International career
Bwalya was a member of the national squad that participated at the 1988 Olympic GamesFootball at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Final results for the football competition at the 1988 Summer Olympics. The tournament was held from September 17, 1988 to October 1, 1988.-Medal summary:...
, making his mark with a most famous hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in a 4-0 victory against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
. At the full international level, he appeared in 147 international matches and scored 100 goals from 1983 to 2004. He debuted against Uganda
Uganda national football team
The Uganda national football team, nicknamed The Cranes, is the national team of Uganda and is controlled by the Federation of Uganda Football Associations...
in 1983, and appeared in multiple tournaments, including six editions of the African Cup of Nations
African Cup of Nations
The Africa Cup of Nations, also referred to as the African Cup of Nations or African Nations Cup, officially CAN , is the main international association football competition in Africa. It is sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football , and was first held in 1957. Since 1968, it has been...
.
Although he was captain of the national football team during the qualification matches
1994 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the African zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification....
for the 1994 World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
, Kalusha was not on the ill-fated flight on April 27, 1993 when the entire team and its management were killed when the plane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
off Gabon
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
. Kalusha Bwalya, Africa's most famous "Number 11", 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 Super Eagles of Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
; 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 jointly winning the Golden Boot Award as the topscorer at the tournament.
He was a player-coach during the Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n 2006 World Cup qualification matches
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (CAF)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for Africa. 51 teams took part , competing for 5 World Cup places.The qualification was composed of two Rounds...
. On September 5, 2004, Zambia played Liberia
Liberia national football team
The Liberia national football team, nicknamed the Lone Stars, is the national team of Liberia and is controlled by the Liberia Football Association. Although the country produced the 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year, George Weah, they have never reached the World Cup finals...
, and the match was tied 0–0 minutes before the end. Kalusha, aged 41, came off the bench during the second half, and marked his 147th appearance with his 100th goal for the country, scoring from a trademark direct free kick
Direct free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
to give Zambia a 1-0 victory and the lead of Africa's Group 1. However, Zambia finished third and failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
.
Despite the failure to qualify, Bwalya coached Zambia at the 2006 African Cup of Nations
2006 African Cup of Nations
-Group B:---------------------Group C:---------------------Group D:---------------------Knockout stage:-Quarter-finals:-------------Semi-finals:-----Third-place play-off:-Final:-Scorers:...
. Following their elimination in the first round, however, Bwalya resigned from his post.
He has nevertheless remained actively involved in international football, contributing to the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
as a member of FIFA's Technical Study Group. He was also one of the ambassadors of the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
which was held in South Africa.
Club career
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".
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."
Administrative career
He currently serves as a standing committee member at FIFAFIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
and the Confederation of African Football
Confederation of African Football
The Confederation of African Football is the administrative and controlling body for African association football.CAF represents the national football associations of Africa, runs continental, national, and club competitions, and controls the prize money, regulations and media rights to those...
and as of 2008 is the president of the Football Association of Zambia
Football Association of Zambia
The Football Association of Zambia is the governing body of football in Zambia. It was founded in 1929, and affiliated to FIFA in 1964. It is also a member of the Confederation of African Football. It organizes the national football league and the national team.- External links :* * at the FIFA...
. 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
Football Association of Zambia
The Football Association of Zambia is the governing body of football in Zambia. It was founded in 1929, and affiliated to FIFA in 1964. It is also a member of the Confederation of African Football. It organizes the national football league and the national team.- External links :* * at the FIFA...
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
Football Association of Zambia
The Football Association of Zambia is the governing body of football in Zambia. It was founded in 1929, and affiliated to FIFA in 1964. It is also a member of the Confederation of African Football. It organizes the national football league and the national team.- External links :* * at the FIFA...
as well as the media. As of May 2008 Hervé Renard was the coach of the Zambia National Soccer Team.
His now football association of Zambia since 2008 and on 23rd February he was elected as CAF executive commit member.
Honours
- 2 x EredivisieEredivisieThe Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
(Dutch League): 1990-91, 1991-92. - 1 x KNVB CupKNVB CupThe KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
(Dutch Cup): 1989-90. - 1 x Johan Cruijff schaal (Dutch Super Cup): 1991-92.
- 2 x Pop Poll d'Echte Cercle Brugge K.S.V.Cercle Brugge K.S.V.Cercle Brugge Koninklijke Sportvereniging is a Belgian football team from Bruges. Cercle have played in the Belgian Pro League since the 2003-04 season, having previously spent several years in the Belgian Second Division following relegation in 1997. Their matricule is the n°12. The club play...
: Player of the Year: 1986-87 & 1987-88. - 1 x African Footballer of the YearAfrican Footballer of the YearThe African Footballer of the Year award, presented to the best African football player each year, has been conferred by the Confederation of African Football since 1992. An earlier African Footballer of the Year Golden Ball award was given out between 1970 and 1994 by France Football magazine...
: 1988 - 2 x Cercle Brugge top scorer: 1987 & 1988.