Godfrey Chitalu

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Godfrey Chitalu (born October 22, 1947 in Luanshya , † April 28, 1993 near Libreville , Gabon ) was a Zambian football player and coach.

Career

Chitalu started his career at Roan United and joined Kitwe United in 1965 . In 1968 he scored 81 goals in one season. In 1970 he moved to Kabwe Warriors , with whom Chitalu won the championship of the first Zambian league three times in a row, and where he played and worked as a coach until his retirement in 1982. As a national player of Zambia, he took part in the 1978 African Cup of Nations and the Summer Olympics in Moscow , where he scored a goal in a 3-1 defeat by Zambia against the USSR. In total, he is said to have played 103 senior internationals and scored 74 goals for Zambia. Chitalu was killed in the accident involving the DHC-5 Buffalo AF-319 of the Zambian Air Force along with other members of the Zambian national team in 1993. In the same year he took over the office of national coach.

reception

Grave of Godfrey Chitalu in Lusaka

Chitalu's nickname was Ucar based on the acronym of the battery manufacturer Union Carbide . The name was given to him by a popular Zambian sports reporter who alluded to Chitalus' energetic dribbling and goal completion. His often successful solo efforts in particular left a lasting impression on the audience. Chitalu was also considered a hothead, who was often criticized for his sometimes unsportsmanlike behavior on the pitch. However, his ability as a striker always outweighed his admiration, which is why he became a national football icon in the 1970s and was voted Zambia's Player of the Year five times. In 1981 he was honored with a high state medal by Zambia's President Kenneth Kaunda . In 2006 he was named one of the 200 best African players of the past 50 years by the African Football Association .

In the 1972 calendar year, according to the Zambian Football Association, Chitalu is said to have scored a total of 107 goals in national competitions as well as in the African Cup of Champions Clubs and some international matches. In connection with Lionel Messi's scoring record in 2012 (91 competitive goals in the calendar year), this statistic, which could dispute this record for the Argentine, became internationally known. The FIFA declared not to have sufficient data and announced a test.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ zambianfootball.co.zm: Blog: Zambia National Team Appearance and Scoring Records (Nov. 9, 2012)
  2. ↑ Read we forget them ( Memento of the original from December 18, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , The Zambia Post dated January 31, 2010  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.postzambia.com
  3. ↑ Ucar Chitalu's record revealed & to be presented to FAZ by Jerry Muchimba ( Memento of the original from December 17, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. zambianfootball.co.zm @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.zambianfootball.co.zm
  4. ↑ Super League History ( Memento of the original from December 14, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Football Association of Zambia @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.fazfootball.com
  5. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20711038
  6. ↑ Zambia's Football Association doubts Messi record , Kicker Online from December 12, 2012
personal data
SURNAME Chitalu, Godfrey
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Zambian soccer player and coach
DATE OF BIRTH October 22, 1947
PLACE OF BIRTH Luanshya
DATE OF DEATH April 28, 1993
Place of death near Libreville , Gabon