Kaiser Kalambo facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 6 July 1953 | ||
| Place of birth | Luanshya, Northern Rhodesia | ||
| Date of death | 18 March 2014 (aged 60) | ||
| Place of death | Lusaka | ||
| Playing position | Defender, midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1970–1973 | Roan United | ||
| 1973–1983 | Ndola United | ||
| 1984–1986 | Ndola Lime FC | ||
| National team | |||
| 1973–1982 | Zambia | ||
| Teams managed | |||
| 1984–1986 | Ndola Lime F.C. | ||
| 1987 | Vitafoam United F.C. | ||
| 1989–1991 | Township Rollers | ||
| 1992–1996 | Blue Diamonds F.C. | ||
| 1996–1998 | BMC | ||
| 1999–2009 | Blue Diamonds F.C. | ||
| 2009–2010 | Konkola Blades F.C. | ||
| 2011 | National Assembly F.C | ||
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Kaiser Kalambo (born 6 July 1953 – died 18 March 2014) was a famous Zambian football player and coach. He played for the Zambian national team in three big tournaments called the Africa Cup of Nations. In 1980, he became the captain of the Zambian team. That same year, he was also named the best Zambian footballer. After his playing career, he coached several football clubs in both Zambia and Botswana.
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Who Was Kaiser Kalambo?
Kaiser Kalambo was a talented Zambian footballer. He was known for being strong on the ball. He was also a very reliable player. People often called him 'KK'. He played as both a defender and a midfielder.
Early Life and Start in Football
Kaiser Kalambo was born in Luanshya. His parents were January and Namwiba Kalambo. His father worked as a miner. Kaiser had seven brothers and sisters.
He went to school in Luanshya. In 1970, he joined a local team called Roan United. He played as a defensive midfielder. Later, he finished his schooling in Ndola. This was after he joined another team, Ndola United.
Playing for Clubs
In his first year with Roan United, Kaiser helped his team reach the Shell Challenge Cup final. They lost the game 3–2. For three years, he also played for the Zambia Schools team. He never missed a game during that time.
In August 1973, Kaiser moved to Ndola United. He scored the winning goal in his first game against his old club, Roan United. However, Ndola United was removed from the competition. This happened because Kaiser's transfer was not fully completed.
Kaiser was a regular player for Ndola United. The team finished third in the league in 1975 and 1976. Because of this, Ndola United got to play in the Africa Cup Winners Cup in 1977. They were knocked out in the first round.
In 1979, Kaiser led his team to the Independence Cup final. They lost the game after a penalty shootout. The next year, Ndola United reached another final, the Challenge Cup. This time, they won the cup. They beat Green Buffaloes 3–2 after extra-time. Kaiser was the captain and player-coach of the team. At the end of that season, he won the Footballer of the Year award.
In 1984, he joined Ndola Lime FC. He was a player-coach there for two seasons. After that, he stopped playing to focus only on coaching.
Playing for Zambia
Kaiser first played for Zambia Schools from 1971 to 1973. His first game for the senior national team was on 15 April 1973. It was a World Cup qualifier against Ethiopia. He came on as a midfielder. When another player got a red card, Kaiser was asked to play as a left-back. He did very well in this new position. He was good at tackling and crossing the ball. He ended up playing as a left-back permanently.
Kaiser was part of Zambia's team at their first ever Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt in 1974. He played in a group match against Uganda. Zambia won 1–0. Kaiser made a very important block during the game. This helped Zambia reach the semi-finals.
He was also part of the team for Ghana '78. Zambia was knocked out in the first round of that tournament.
In 1980, Kaiser became the captain of the Zambian team. He led his country to the Moscow 1980 Olympics. Zambia was knocked out in the group stage after three defeats.
Kaiser also led Zambia to CAN 1982. He was injured before the tournament. After he recovered, he only played once. This was in the third and fourth place play-off against Algeria. This turned out to be his last game for Zambia.
Life After Playing: Coaching
Kaiser Kalambo started coaching as early as 1978. He was also a chief scout for Ndola United. He used his job to find the best players from the city.
He coached Ndola Lime FC from 1984 to 1986. Then he moved to Vitafoam United. He left them in 1987 when they were moved down from the top league.
In 1989, Kaiser went to Botswana to coach Township Rollers. He won two cups with them. After that, he coached Blue Diamonds from 1992 to 1996. He then coached Botswana Meat Commission for a year. He returned to Blue Diamonds in 1999.
After 20 years in Botswana, he came back to Zambia. In 2010, he took charge of Konkola Blades. He was released after only seven games. He then moved to Lusaka. In 2011, he coached National Assembly Football Club. He was dismissed after some poor results.
His Legacy
Kaiser Kalambo passed away at the age of 60. He died in Lusaka after an illness. He is remembered as a great Zambian footballer and coach.
See also
In Spanish: Kaiser Kalambo para niños
