Godfrey Chitalu - International Career

International Career

Chitalu made his international debut on June 29, 1968 in a friendly match against Uganda in Lusaka which Zambia won 2–1. He scored his first goal in a 2–2 draw against the same team five days later.

Chitalu played a prominent role during the World Cup qualification matches against Sudan which Zambia lost due to difference of away goals as the aggregate score was tied at 6–6.

He was in the team that beat Nigeria 5–1 on July 15, 1973 in Lusaka to qualify to the 1974 African Cup of Nations. He featured for Zambia at the tournament and scored a goal against Egypt in a 3–1 loss. Zambia reached the final which they lost to Zaire after a replay.

In April 1975, he was dropped from the national team and he watched the action from the sidelines for almost two years. He made a comeback when Zambia coach Brightwell Banda took charge of the team, coming off the bench to score two goals in a crucial World Cup qualification tie against Uganda on February 27, 1977 in a 4–2 victory in Ndola.

He repeated the feat five months later in an Africa Cup of Nations qualification game against Algeria with Zambia trailing 2–0 from the first leg in Algiers. He scored a brilliant brace to force a 2–2 draw and Zambia prevailed 5–4 on penalties. In the month when he turned 30, Chitalu scored 5 goals in the CECAFA Cup which Zambia lost in the final to Uganda on spot-kicks.

The following year, Chitalu graced his second Africa Cup of Nations at Ghana 1978 but Zambia lost him to injury in the first game and were eliminated in the first round of the tournament. He made another impression at the CECAFA Cup in Uganda where he finished top scorer with a record 11 goals, including 4 in a 9–0 thrashing of Kenya. Zambia however lost to Malawi 3–2 in the final.

In 1980, he represented Zambia at the 1980 Summer Olympics, scoring a goal against the Soviet Union in a 3–1 defeat. He also scored when Zambia lost to Venezuela 2–1 He played his last game for Zambia on December 12, 1980 against Kenya in Nairobi which ended in a 1–1 draw. It was his 103rd appearance making him Zambia's most capped outfield player and record top scorer with 74 goals.

On May 25, 1981, Chitalu was bestowed with the Insignia of Honour by Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda for his contribution to Zambian football. Afterwards, he said,

"Zambia will bring home the World Cup one day or at least a continental one. But we must accept that these things might take a life-time. However, it is worth the wait."