GODFREY CHITALU- BEST AFRICAN STRIKER EVER? :As Zambia celebrates 50 years a Recap of a legend of the African Game In 2012 Barcelonas Lionnel Messi lay claim to being the highest scorer in a calender goal when he surpassed Gert Mullers 1972 85 Goal scoring record. Pundits who some claim were Real Madrid fans then dug up an old record by an african player called Godfrey Chitalu who was said to have scored 116 goals ironically also in 1972. Chitalu scored his 116 goals while playing for Zambian top side Kabwe Warriors. Ucars record was rediculed by European pundits and African fans alike saying that he played in an inferior african were it was easy to score. What was never noted though is that Godfrey Chitalu also holds the Alltime African National Team Topscorer with 79 goals in 103 games and is number 4 on the world charts. A record that all of Africas other great strikers have failed to surpass. So who was Godfrey Ucar Chitalu? Ucar as he was fondly known began his career aged 17 years at Kitwe United in 1964 and made his debut in the last game of the 1965 scoring against Rhokana United ( Now Nkana FC) In 1967 the volatile Ucar was made Kitwe United Captain at the age of 20 simply to keep him under control. The move suited him as he became topscorer with a record 81 goals and would also win the Zambian Footballer of the Year award. Ucar then moved to Zambian Giants Kabwe Warriors for a record transfer fee in 1971. His transfer was a long drawn one with United claiming a transfer fee of K15,000 ( Now around K210,000/$35,000) but after a lot of negotiating United sold him for K3,500 ( around $8,000) Chitalu would miss 6 games for his new team but still managed to score 51 Goals for Club and Country. Chitalu then beat his own record of 81 goals when he scored 116 goals in the 1972 season beginning with 2 goals away to Matjanta FC of Lesotho in a Caf Club game before scoring 7 in the return leg as Warriors won 9-0. Ucar scored 15 goals in Caf Competition and the rest in league and Cup games. Despite this good goal scoring record Chitalu never really became first choice striker for the Zambia National team. He only played 1 out of 5 games at Zambias debut 1974 Afcon were the team reached the final, Chitalus goal came in a 3-1 loss to hosts Egypt. Due to Ucars temper and his controversial nature he would spend more than a decade in and out of the National team missing crucial games and even spending two years away from the team. Ucar would only make 3 Afcon appearances and played mostly qualifiers but inspite of this he scored a record breaking 79 National Team goals. Ucar was always controversial and in the mid 70s when World Number 1 Englands Peter Shilton visited Zambia for a series of freindlies Ucar declared that he would put two goals past the Englishman. Shilton remarked that he had never even heard of Chitalu, Ucar would score his two goals and then get sent of for stamping on an opponent. In a league match Ucar left the field jumping over the fence and chased a fan round the stadium while the game was going on, the fan had allegadly insulted Ucar. In 1983 Ucar was banned for life when as Assistant coach of Kabwe Warriors during a game against Nkana FC he rushed onto the field after Coach Ilija Lukic was sent to the stands and punched the referee for awarding a penalty to Nkana FC while Warriors were already down. The game was abandoned. The Ban was lifted after a few months. Chitalu retired from Active football in 1981 but not before he won 6 Topscorer awards and 5 Zambia footballer of the year awards. Chitalu would go onto become Administrative Manager of the National team in 1987. In 1989 he took over Kabwe Warriors and led them back to the top Division in 1989 winning 2 Cups including a 7-0 thrashing of Top League club Konkola Blades in the Challenge Cup and a 2-1 win over then African Giants Nkana FC in the Champion of Champions Cup. In 1992 Godfrey Chitalu took over as Zambia National Team Coach from Samuel Zoom Ndhlovu and led a revitalised Zambia. In 1993 on their way to play Senegal in a Worldcup qualifier Chitalu along with the Zambia National Team perished on the coast of Brazil. Its rather Ironic that 19 years later Striker Emmanuel Mayuka who made his name at Kabwe Warriors would become the Topscorer of the 2012 Afcon leading Zambia to its first Afcon Trophy in Gabon. Chitalus 116 goals in one season record and 79 goals as Africas National Teams Topscorer still stands to this day. Was Chitalu the best striker Africa has ever seen?
Posted on: Thu, 09 Oct 2014 19:17:34 +0000
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