{"id":2221,"date":"2021-09-20T19:05:40","date_gmt":"2021-09-20T19:05:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/?p=2221"},"modified":"2021-09-20T19:06:50","modified_gmt":"2021-09-20T19:06:50","slug":"africas-goal-king-the-wonder-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/2021\/09\/20\/africas-goal-king-the-wonder-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Africa\u2019s Goal King \u2013 The Wonder Year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Chitalu\"
Chitalu receiving an award from the 1st Republican President, the Late Dr Kenneth Kaunda<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By Satish Sekar \u00a9 Satish Sekar (September 20th<\/sup> 2021)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Begin the Wonder Year<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next year marks the 50th<\/sup> anniversary of Africa\u2019s Goal King, the late great Godfrey Chitalu\u2019s wonder year. He set two African Champions Clubs records and two world records (unless anyone knows better). He also won all five domestic trophies on offer with his club Kabwe Warriors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Born in Luanshya, Chitalu got his chance in Kitwe. He made his debut for Kitwe United in 1965 and for Zambia in 1968. In 1972 Chitalu scored 107 goals in the season, but his calendar year tally was underestimated for no good reason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On January 23rd<\/sup> Kabwe Warriors played Lesotho\u2019s champions Majantja. It ended in a 2-2 draw. His second goal was special according to the man who conceded it, Lebohang \u2018Black Cat\u2019 Nteko. For almost 50 years no journalist had gone to see Lebohang Nteko. 49 years after Chitalu started his wonder year I went to Lesotho to track down Nteko. He gave me an interview detailing Chitalu\u2019s exploits. It\u2019s amazing that no Zambian journalists had bothered to see him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Kabwe warriors and Zambia Icon, Richard Stephenson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Exceptional<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chitalu\u2019s teammate, and Zambia great, Richard concurs. While Majantja and the crowd were celebrating retaking the lead, Kabwe Warriors kicked off. Chitalu cut through Majantja\u2019s defence beating player after player. Near the edge of the area he unleashed a trademark fierce shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nteko says the fierceness of Chitalu\u2019s shooting led his defenders to avoid blocking the shot. With typical accuracy Chitalu\u2019s shot gave Nteko no chance. It hit the stanchion. Years later Nteko asked Chitalu how he did that. \u201cI used to practice after everyone had gone home,\u201d Chitalu explained. Practice made perfect. Chitalu aimed, fired and hit the stanchion he was shooting at. What a goal. Nearly 50 years later it is still talked about in Lesotho.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nteko says, \u201cWe didn\u2019t know who he was when they arrived in Lesotho.\u201d After that goal everyone knew who Godfrey Chitalu was. Despite the draw, Majantja was quietly confident. Nteko explains that the venue was changed and it was very hot \u2013 that had an effect and also made the shirts heavy. On February 6th<\/sup> 1972 the iconic Dag Hammarskj\u00f6ld Stadium hosted one of its many Godfrey Chitalu shows. Majantja\u2019s tactics were simple \u2013 stop Chitalu playing and smash and grab, but Chitalu had other ideas. Despite Majantja assigning their best man-marker to keep him quiet, Chitalu wasn\u2019t having it. If one wasn\u2019t enough try two. He still liked it. Sandford Mvula and the great Boniface Simutowe scored, but there was no doubt who the star was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Lebohang ‘Black Cat’ Nteko<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Record Setters<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kabwe warriors ran riot, winning the match 9-0. At the time it was a CAF African Cup of Champions Clubs record for highest score in a match. It remains the only CAF clubs record set by a Zambian team in Zambia \u2013 well actually Chitalu\u2019s record in the same match made it the only match where two African records were set by Zambians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The club record was surpassed by Raja Casablanca, 10-1, against Tourbillon in 2011. Difa\u00e2 Hassani d\u2019el Jadida beat Benfica de Bissau 10-0 in 2018 to displace their Moroccan rivals, but their record was beaten by Mamelodi Sundowns thrashing the Seychelles\u2019 C\u00f4te d\u2019Or 11-1 in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chitalu\u2019s individual record has lasted the best part of 50 years \u2013 and counting. He was that special! Interestingly, CAFonline recognises the clubs\u2019 records, but not the individual record. CAF\u2019s acknowledgment of Kabwe Warriors\u2019 9-0 raises the question of why Kabwe Warriors are acknowledged, but Chitalu is not. Newspaper records at the time establish that Chitalu scored seven in the second match \u2013 a record that still stands to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The once impregnable Fortress, the Dag Hammarskj\u00f6ld Stadium as it is now.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Astonishing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Nteko, Chitalu\u2019s performance so demoralised his original man-marker, that after playing a match in Botswana on the way back, he hung up his boots. There can\u2019t be many players who made such a mockery of three man-markers that he still scored seven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asked who the best striker he faced was, Nteko has no doubt. \u201cGodfrey Chitalu,\u201d he says without hesitation. And as for the records that are yet to be acknowledged. \u201cThey are his records,\u201d Nteko told me exclusively. \u201cHe scored those goals past me. They must acknowledge him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Satish Sekar \u00a9 Satish Sekar (September 20th 2021) Begin the Wonder Year Next year marks the 50th anniversary of [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[15,19,12,18],"tags":[706,707,708,709,710],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2221"}],"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=2221"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2221\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2225,"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2221\/revisions\/2225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fittedin.org\/fittedinwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}