The Football Association of Zambia Faz has stated that it will approach Fifa about getting recognition for striker prolific Godfrey Chitalu’s record of scoring 107 goals in 1972 calendar season.

Lusaka / NationalTurk – This latest development came after Lionel Messi broke German Gerd Mueller’s record of 85 goals scored in a calendar year but the Zambian Football Association believes the person who hold the record Messi is suppose to break is Godfrey Chitalu and not Muller.

Lionel Messi now has 88 goals to his credit which before this claim by the Zambia Football Association puts him on top as the all time best scorer in a single football calendar year.

The Zambian Football Association spokesperson Eric Mwanza Zambia has the relevant document to prove to FIFA that Godfrey Chitalu holds the record and he should be credited with that record of scoring 107 goals in a calendar year.

“In 1972 Godfrey Chitalu scored 107 goals – that includes the league, African club championship matches, national team matches, and international friendly games, “We are sending communication to the Secretary General of Fifa, Mr. Jerome Valcke, to look again into the matter of Godfrey Chitalu”, Mr. Mwanza stated.

“We want to make it very clear that it is not a question of authenticating, or trying to verify or see if he actually scored the goals – that is not in question, What is in question now is why has he not been recognized, and that is what we are looking at now’’, he added.

The man Godfrey Chitalu

Godfrey Chitalu born on October 22, 1947 was a Zambian footballer who is regarded as the greatest Zambian player ever and holds the national team goal-scoring record.

He played in his youthful days for Fisansa Club and Kwacha I Community Centre before moving to Kitwe United and eventually ended at Kabwe Warriors

Chitalu was voted Zambian footballer of the year a record five times and in 1972 scored 107 goals for club and country which is yet to be recognized by football governing body FIFA.

After his playing career, he became the national team coach of Zambia and died along side 29 officials and players in that historic sad plane crash of the Zambian team that were on their way to play Senegal in their first ever world cup qualifying match on 27^th of April, 1993.

Issaka Adams/NationalTurk Africa Sports News

 

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