Alex Chola
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alexander Chola | ||
| Date of birth | 2 June 1956 | ||
| Place of birth | Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo | ||
| Date of death | 27 April 1993 (aged 45) | ||
| Place of death | Atlantic Ocean, off the Gabonese coast | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1972–1973 | Solbena F.C., | ||
| 1974–1979 | Mufulira Blackpool | ||
| 1980–1985 | Power Dynamos | ||
| Teams managed | |||
| 1985–1990 | Power Dynamos | ||
| 1992–1993 | Power Dynamos | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Alex Chola (5 June 1956 – 27 April 1993) was a Zambian footballer and coach. Voted Zambian Footballer of the Year in 1976, he is regarded as one of the greatest Zambian players in history and is the country’s second highest goal scorer after Godfrey Chitalu. He made a mark at Mufulira Blackpool and Power Dynamos before becoming Dynamos coach and winning the Coach of the Year award in 1992. Chola died in a plane crash off the coast of Gabon on 27 April 1993.
Chola was born in Lubumbashi where his father went to work and he reportedly played for local club Solbena F.C. before moving to Ndola as a teenager. After a brief stay, he left for Mufulira and signed with Division II side Mufulira Blackpool in 1974.
Chola’s exceptional skills were evident from an early age and he forged a sharp frontline with giant striker John ‘Fuso’ Lengwe, Lee Mulenga and player-coach Simon “Kaodi” Kaushi. Blackpool won promotion to the Zambian top league and in April 1975, Chola ended defending league champions Green Buffaloes long unbeaten run with a clinical finish at Blackpool’s home ground Kamuchanga Stadium in Mufulira. It was the first league defeat in over a year for Buffaloes, who had won the title in 1974 without losing a single game.
In July of that same year, Blackpool captain John Botha was removed and suspended indefinitely for issuing damaging press statements against Kaushi, and Chola was named the new skipper at the age of 19.
Chola was linked with several clubs during his time at Blackpool. Mufulira Wanderers, Rokana United and Buffaloes were all after his signature at some point but Blackpool managed to hold on to their prize asset. In Buffaloes' case, the player changed his mind when told he had to enlist with their sponsors Zambia Army, as he wanted to maintain his civilian status, and the move to Wanderers did not materialize as it was believed that such a move would have soured relationships between the two clubs.
In 1976, Blackpool won a hard-fought 4-3 Independence Cup final win over town-mates Butondo Western Tigers at Dag Hammarskjöld Stadium in Ndola, with Chola creating two goals and scoring the winner. It was Blackpool’s second and last trophy following their Chibuku Cup win of 1972. Despite a mid-table finish, Chola finished the season as Blackpool’s top scorer with 20 goals and was named Zambia’s Footballer of the year.
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