{"id":1917,"date":"2020-06-04T19:58:44","date_gmt":"2020-06-04T19:58:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/?p=1917"},"modified":"2020-06-04T21:40:41","modified_gmt":"2020-06-04T21:40:41","slug":"africas-undisputed-goal-king-part-four","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/2020\/06\/04\/africas-undisputed-goal-king-part-four\/","title":{"rendered":"Africa\u2019s Undisputed Goal King (Part Four) – Standards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Satish Sekar \u00a9 Satish Sekar (May 1st<\/sup> 2020)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

African GOAT<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are few players who can hold world records, African champions records and more at the same time for half a century without receiving the recognition that he deserves. Godfrey Chitalu is that player. The Zambian striker set world records for a single season, and for the calendar year twice \u2013 the only player to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how good was Chitalu?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer, quoted by Jerry Muchimba in his book, Godfrey \u2018Ucar\u2019 Chitalu<\/em>, was given by one who should know, the all-time record holder for a single African Cup of Nations, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Africa\u2019s great Pierre Ndaye Mulamba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked which African player had impressed him the most, he replied as follows: \u201cI\u2019d say two: Godfrey Chitalu of Zambia, and Ghana’s Ibrahim Sunday. They were the greatest of their era. Chitalu perished in the Zambian air crash of April 1993 [he was the national team coach]. I hope the authorities are taking care of his family.\u201d[1]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Standards<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While researching these articles, I discovered a few anomalies that had never been raised previously. There were no requirements to prove their achievements on anyone else. A furore broke out as Bar\u00e7elona and Argentina\u2019s talisman, Lionel Messi approached what was thought to be the calendar year record \u2013 West Germany and Bayern M\u00fcnchen (Munich) legend, Gerd M\u00fcller\u2019s 85. It focused attention on the plight of the German great \u2013 good!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it was not M\u00fcller\u2019s record. In 1972 M\u00fcller had broken the previous mark of 81, set by a 21-year-old Zambian striker. Then playing for Kitwe United, Chitalu won the first of five Zambian top-scorer awards. Not for the first time Chitalu terrorised defences in Zambia as only he could. Nobody else came close to his totals \u2013 it was a pattern that lasted throughout his career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While M\u00fcller was hailed as the Goal King for four decades, Zambians and Africans knew better. 2012 was drawing to a close. Messi could and did beat M\u00fcller\u2019s tally, but was he the record holder? Zambians cried foul. They were determined to ensure that their icon was recognised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The record, they insisted, was Chitalu\u2019s and the mark was 107. Only the Zambians were told that they had to verify his goals \u2013 it was far easier to do in Europe, especially for Messi\u2019s, but against the odds the Zambians did so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why, people asked, was Chitalu\u2019s claim only being made now 40 years on? Well, actually it was not. Zambians knew in 1972 and the claim was made then. There\u2019s an iconic photo of Chitalu holding a ball with the 107 on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obviously, Zambians knew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author Jerry Muchimba says FIFA demanded proof. \u201cThey were ready to honour Messi for breaking Gerd M\u00fcller\u2019s 40-year-old record,\u201d Muchimba says, \u201cand when this was disputed, they asked for proof.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Muchimba had the proof. He had been researching it for a book Godfrey \u2018Ucar\u2019 Chitalu<\/em>. He had painstakingly pored over match reports in newspapers for 1972. He knew of all Chitalu\u2019s goals, where and when they were scored, against whom and in which tournament. He presented them to FIFA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Moving Goalposts<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Muchimba complains that once he proved Chitalu\u2019s scoring, the goalposts were moved. In fact, this was not the first time. An obvious question or two arise. Who held the record before Chitalu? And what was the verification of those records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first can be answered easily. In 1968 Chitalu scored 81 to break Pel\u00e9\u2019s tally of 75 set a decade ago. The great Brasilian, took the record from an unheralded Magyar, a Mighty one before the team acquired the moniker. Ferenc De\u00e1k scored 66 in 1946. De\u00e1k took the record from Everton and England great, Dixie Dean. In 1927 Dean scored 63 goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what about verification? Well there\u2019s none. The Brasilians, Hungarians and English were never called on to verify that Pel\u00e9, De\u00e1k and Dean had set those records. Why was it only required of Chitalu and Zambia?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While record-keeping in Zambia may not have been all it could have been, the evidence was there \u2013 it just had to be researched and collated. To his credit Muchimba did that. His findings are verified and can be checked by any doubters, Thomases or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was clear \u2013 Muchimba identified all 107 goals and presented his findings to FIFA, expecting the record to be credited to Chitalu. It wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen this [proof of the goals] was provided, they did an about turn by saying they never kept track of club football, so they could confirm neither record.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Really? Then why was M\u00fcller recognised as the record-holder for 40 years?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFIFA\u2019s stance is surprising,\u201d says Muchimba.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDuring my research, I came across a newspaper article, which indicated that FIFA were ready to honour Chitalu if evidence of the goals he scored in 1972 was provided.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Muchimba included a scan of the article in his book, but Chitalu\u2019s records were never acknowledged by FIFA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFIFA should do the right thing and recognise Chitalu\u2019s record of 1972,\u201d says Muchimba. \u201cFIFA have to do the right thing and give Chitalu the recognition he deserves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But African football has not acknowledged him fully either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

[1]<\/a> See https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20090907231719\/http:\/\/simbasports.iquebec.com\/interviewndaye.htm<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There are few players who can hold world records, African champions records and more at the same time for half a century without receiving the recognition that he deserves. Godfrey Chitalu is that player. The Zambian striker set world records for a single season, and for the calendar year twice \u2013 the only player to do so.<\/p>\n

So how good was Chitalu?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1918,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[698],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1917"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1917"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1917\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1920,"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1917\/revisions\/1920"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1917"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1917"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1917"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}