Fighton Simukonda facts for kids

Fighton Simukonda (born February 2, 1958 – died February 15, 2016) was a famous Zambian football player and coach. He was a key part of the Nkana Red Devils team in the 1980s. With them, he won five league titles. He also had the honor of being the captain of the Zambia national team.

As a coach, Fighton Simukonda continued his success. He won several Zambian Premier League titles. He also made history by being the first coach to lead a Zambian club, ZESCO United, into the group stage of the CAF Champions League. This is a very important club competition in Africa.

Playing Career: From Defender to Captain

Fighton Simukonda was born in Chingola, Zambia. He began his football journey there as a defender. His first teams were Mimbula Diggers and KB Davies FC, both playing in Division II.

Simukonda was over six feet tall, making him a strong presence in defense. In 1980, he joined Vitafoam United, a Division I team. The next year, he captained Vitafoam to win the Independence Cup final.

In 1982, Vitafoam sent Simukonda and other players to England for coaching training. After he returned, the big club Nkana signed him. There was a disagreement between Vitafoam and Nkana about his contract. This kept him from playing for about four months until the teams agreed.

Simukonda quickly became important at Nkana. He was a smart defender. He helped Nkana win his first league title without losing a single game that season. He went on to win four more league titles with Nkana in 1983, 1985, 1986, and 1988.

In 1989, Nkana played in the Heroes and Unity Cup final. They lost the game, and Simukonda was one of six players suspended. He later explained that they were misunderstood. They went to the dressing room after the loss, which was seen as refusing to sing the national anthem.

While suspended, Simukonda moved to South Africa to play football. At that time, South Africa was facing international isolation due to apartheid. He played for Jomo Cosmos for two years. Then he moved to Blackpool for one season. Finally, he joined Dangerous Darkies before ending his playing career.

National Team: Representing Zambia

Simukonda first played for the Zambia national team in October 1983. It was an Olympic Games qualifier against Egypt, which Zambia won. He quickly became a regular defender for Zambia.

In 1984, he was part of the team that won Zambia's first ever CECAFA Cup in Uganda. He also played in the World Cup qualifier where Zambia beat Cameroon 4–1 in 1985.

Simukonda was not in the squad for the CAN 1986. However, he returned in December 1986. He captained the team to win the MPLA trophy in Luanda against Angola. He continued as captain and helped Zambia qualify for the Seoul Olympic Games by beating Ghana.

Zambia was suspended from hosting the 1988 CAN finals, so Simukonda missed another tournament. Later, he was dropped from the national team after a tough game against South Korea. This meant he missed out on the Olympic Games.

Coaching Career: Leading Teams to Victory

Fighton Simukonda started his coaching career in 1992 with Dangerous Darkies. His first coaching experience was very challenging. He then returned to Zambia in 1992. He joined Roan United as an assistant coach. When the head coach left, Simukonda took over.

In 1994, Roan United lost a cup final. But they won the Mosi Cup that year. The next year, he led Roan to win the BP Top 8 Final. They also won the Mosi Cup again in 1996.

Simukonda was an assistant coach for Zambia at the CAN 1998. He also coached Zambia temporarily in 1998. During this time, Zambia won the COSAFA Cup. He stepped down after a draw in a CAN 2000 qualifier.

In 1999, Simukonda moved to Konkola Blades. He helped transform the team. In 2000, the national team coach praised Konkola Blades' playing style. Simukonda stayed with Konkola Blades for several years.

In January 2004, Zanaco hired him. Simukonda led Zanaco to win back-to-back league titles in 2005 and 2006. He also won the Coach of the Year award. After Zanaco didn't win a third title, he left the club.

He then coached City of Lusaka in 2007. He was also an assistant coach for Zambia at CAN 2008. Later, he moved to Lusaka Dynamos. In 2008, he helped them win their first ever trophy, the BP Top 8 Cup.

In 2009, Simukonda joined ZESCO United. He made history by leading ZESCO United to the group stages of the CAF Champions League. This was a first for a Zambian club. He won the Coach of the Year award again that season.

He won the league title with ZESCO United the following year. He received another Coach of the Year Award. However, ZESCO United's performance later dropped, and he was fired in July 2011.

Nine days later, he became the coach of Nakambala Leopards. After a year, he resigned because the club's goals didn't match his own. He then joined Nchanga Rangers on a three-year deal. He led Rangers to good finishes in the league.

Fighton Simukonda also served as an assistant coach for the Zambia National team.

Honours

Club Honours (as a player)

• Zambian League Title: 1982, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1988
• Zambian Charity Shield: 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989
• Independence Cup: 1981, 1986
• Heinrich Cup/Chibuku Cup/Heroes & Unity Cup: 1983
• Champion of Champions: 1986

National Honours (as a player)

• CECAFA Cup: 1984
• MPLA Trophy: 1986

Coaching Honours

• Zambian Premier League: 2005, 2006, 2010
• Mosi Cup: 1994, 1996
• BP Top 8: 1995, 2008
• Coca-Cola Cup: 2004
• Barclays Cup: 2004, 2010
• Charity Shield: 2006, 2011
• COSAFA Cup: 1998

Individual Honours

• Zambian Coach of the Year: 2005, 2009, 2010

Personal Life

Fighton Simukonda passed away on February 15, 2016. He died in Chililabombwe after a battle with Diabetes Mellitus.

See also

In Spanish: Fighton Simukonda para niños