Godfrey Chitalu

Godfrey Chitalu
Chitalu in 1993
Personal information
Full name Godfrey Kangwa Chitalu
Date of birth (1947-10-22)22 October 1947
Place of birth Luanshya, Northern Rhodesia
Date of death 27 April 1993(1993-04-27) (aged 45)
Place of death Atlantic Ocean, off Gabon
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1957–1959 Fisansa Youth Club
1959–1962 Kwacha I Community Centre
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1964–1970 Kitwe United 200+ (176+)
1971–1982 Kabwe Warriors 500+ (314+)
Total 700+ (490+ [1])
International career
1968–1980 Zambia 111 (79)
Managerial career
1984–1986 Kabwe Warriors
1991–1993 Kabwe Warriors
1993 Zambia
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Zambia
Africa Cup of Nations
Runner-up 1974 Egypt
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Godfrey Chitalu (22 October 1947 – 27 April 1993), nicknamed Ucar, was a Zambian footballer who played as a forward. He is widely regarded as the greatest Zambian player of all time as he holds his national team's goalscoring record and was voted Zambian footballer of the year five times.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] In 2006, he was selected by CAF as one of the best 200 African footballers of the past 50 years.[12]

The Football Association of Zambia claimed that Chitalu scored more than 100 goals in all competitions in 1972, more than Gerd Müller's total in the same year and Lionel Messi's total in 2012, both of which are often referred to by journalist as "world records".[13][14] The research was presented in the year 2012 after Lionel Messi broke the alleged world record of Gerd Müller. Nevertheless, a FIFA spokesman declared that an official FIFA world record had never existed as they did not keep track of domestic competitions.[15]

Upon retirement, Chitalu took to coaching and was in charge of the Zambia national team when the entire squad perished in a plane crash off the coast of Gabon on 27 April 1993.

  1. ^ Muchimba, Jerry (28 May 2015). Godfrey 'Ucar' Chitalu. Troubador Publishing Ltd. pp. 222–226. ISBN 978-1-78462-220-6.
  2. ^ Zimba, Jack (31 January 2010). "Lest we forget them". The Post (Zambia). Archived from the original on 18 December 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
  3. ^ Muchimba, Jerry (24 May 2012). "Samuel "Zoom" Ndhlovu: True Zambian Legend". Bolazambia. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  4. ^ Maradas, Emmanuel. "Interview with Ndaye Mulamba Living Legend". Simbasports. Archived from the original on 7 September 2009. Retrieved 17 June 2009.
  5. ^ "Dennis Liwewe talks to Fast Track". BBC. 9 May 2002. Retrieved 10 June 2009.
  6. ^ Jerry Muchimba (9 November 2012). "Zambia National Team Appearance and Scoring Records". Zamfoot. Retrieved 23 November 2012.
  7. ^ Chibulu, Musonda "Stars of yester-year – Solly Pandor: True Zambian Legend" Zambia Daily Mail, 14 August 2010 p.10
  8. ^ "Profile: Before Lionel Messi, there was Godfrey Chitalu". The Score. 17 December 2012. Archived from the original on 19 December 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  9. ^ Ekai, Claudia (13 December 2012). "Chitalu's record spins football world". Supersport. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  10. ^ Pilgrim, Sophie (17 December 2012). "Zambia's Chitalu 'scored more goals than Messi'". France24. Retrieved 17 December 2012.
  11. ^ Guerrero, Jose (15 December 2012). "Kamanga: "El Derby County vino dos veces para fichar a Chitalu"". as.com. Retrieved 15 December 2012.
  12. ^ "Οι 200 κορυφαίοι Αφρικανοί" [The top 200 Africans]. Sport24.gr. 25 October 2006. Archived from the original on 3 July 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  13. ^ "Super League History". Football Association of Zambia. Archived from the original on 13 January 2012.
  14. ^ Cummings, Michael (11 December 2012). "Godfrey Chitalu: Did Zambian Striker Score More Goals Than Lionel Messi?". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
  15. ^ "FIFA refuses to back Lionel Messi or Godfrey Chitalu for goal record". BBC Sport. 14 December 2012. Retrieved 15 December 2012.