Kalusha Bwalya facts for kids

Kalusha Bwalya (born 16 August 1963) is a famous Zambian former professional footballer. He is known as one of the greatest players in Zambian football history. He is Zambia's eighth-most capped player. He is also third on the list of all-time top goalscorers for his country.

Kalusha was named African Footballer of the Year in 1988. This award came from the magazine France Football. He was also nominated for the 1996 FIFA World Player of the Year award. He was voted the 12th-best player in the world that year. This was special because he was the first player to be nominated after playing the whole year for a non-European club.

Kalusha comes from a family of footballers. His older brother, Benjamin Bwalya, played professional football. His younger brother, Joel Bwalya, also played for Zambia. His cousin is Robert Earnshaw, who played for Cardiff City and the Welsh national team.

Part of his amazing journey as a player, coach, and football leader is shown in the documentary film "Eighteam".

In March 2016, Kalusha ran for president of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ). He lost the election to Andrew Kamanga by a small number of votes.

In August 2018, the world football governing body FIFA made a decision about Kalusha. He was suspended for two years from all football activities. This was due to rules about sharing information and accepting gifts. Kalusha is still remembered as a true legend of Zambian football.

Playing for Clubs in Europe and Mexico

Kalusha Bwalya's football journey in Europe started at Cercle Brugge in Belgium. In his first season, he was the club's top scorer. Fans also voted him their best player twice.

His great skills caught the eye of PSV Eindhoven, a big Dutch club. He moved there and won the championship twice. These wins were in 1990–91 and 1991–92, under coach Bobby Robson. Kalusha says these wins were a highlight of his career. He remembers playing with amazing players like Romario and Eric Gerets. Training with them every day was a special experience.

After Europe, Kalusha moved to Club América in Mexico in 1994. Their home ground is the famous Azteca Stadium. Kalusha loved playing there and called it the "best stadium in the world." He spent almost eight years in Mexico. He often says that time was "probably the best of my life." Even though he was a fan favorite, he is also remembered for missing an easy goal against Cruz Azul.

Playing for His Country: Zambia

Kalusha Bwalya played for the Zambian national team for many years. He played in 87 international matches and scored 39 goals. He first played for Zambia in April 1983 against Sudan. His first goal was against Uganda the next year. He played in six different African Cup of Nations tournaments.

Olympic Games Success

Kalusha was part of the national team that played in the 1988 Olympic Games. He made a huge impact there. He scored an amazing hat-trick (three goals) in a 4–0 win against Italy. Kalusha admits this result was a big surprise. He said Zambia was the first African team to beat a European power so strongly. He believes Zambia is a "sleeping giant" in football.

Overcoming Challenges and Leading His Team

Kalusha was the captain of the national team during the qualifying matches for the 1994 World Cup. Sadly, on 28 April 1993, a plane carrying many of his teammates and coaches crashed. This was a very sad moment for Zambian football. Kalusha was not on that flight. He was playing for PSV Eindhoven and was flying from the Netherlands to join the team later.

After this tragedy, Kalusha took on the big role of leading the team's comeback. He captained the new team to the Runners-Up spot at the 1994 CAF African Nations Cup in Tunisia. They lost to Nigeria in the final. This was a very proud moment for him and for Zambian football. The team then finished third at the 1996 Africa Cup in South Africa. Kalusha won the Golden Boot Award as the top scorer in that tournament.

Player-Coach and Later Success

Kalusha also served as a player-coach for Zambia. This was during the 2006 World Cup qualification matches. In September 2004, Zambia played Liberia. The score was 0–0 near the end of the game. Kalusha, who was 41 years old, came off the bench. He scored a fantastic goal from a direct free kick. This gave Zambia a 1–0 victory. Even though Zambia did not qualify for the 2006 World Cup, Kalusha showed his lasting skill.

He coached Zambia at the 2006 African Cup of Nations. After the team was eliminated early, Kalusha stepped down as coach.

Kalusha's dream of holding the AFCON trophy finally came true in 2012. The Zambia National Football Team, which many experts thought would not win, surprised everyone. They beat the strong Ivory Coast team to win the final of the 2012 tournament. As the president of the Zambian FA, he joined the players. He lifted the cup in the very country where his former teammates had passed away in the plane crash. This emotional story is told in the documentary film "Eighteam".

Kalusha has stayed involved in international football. He was part of FIFA's Technical Study Group for the 2006 World Cup. He was also an ambassador for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Leading Football: Administrative Career

Kalusha Bwalya has also been a leader in football administration. He is a committee member at FIFA and the Confederation of African Football. From 2008 to 2016, he was the president of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ). He had previously served as vice president.

In 2006, Kalusha resigned as Zambia's coach. But he continued as vice president of the FAZ until 2008. Due to support from FAZ members and the media, he was elected president in 2008. In February 2008, he was also elected to the CAF Executive Committee. He tried for a third term as FAZ president in 2016 but lost the election.

Honours and Achievements

Kalusha Bwalya has won many awards and trophies throughout his career.

With Mufulira Wanderers

• Zambian Challenge Cup: 1984

With PSV

• Eredivisie (Dutch League): 1990–91, 1991–92
• KNVB Cup (Dutch Cup): 1989–90
• Dutch Supercup: 1992

Individual Awards

• Pop Poll d'Echte Cercle Brugge K.S.V. Player of the Year: 1986–87, 1987–88
• African Footballer of the Year: 1988
• Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 1986, 1996
• Africa Cup of Nations Top Scorer: 1996

Images for kids

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See also

In Spanish: Kalusha Bwalya para niños