Joel Bwalya

Joel Bwalya

Personal information
Full name	Joel Kangala Bwalya
Date of birth	(1972-10-24) 24 October 1972
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Zanaco (assistant coach)
Youth career
1985–1986	Mufulira Police
1986–1987	Mufulira Wanderers
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1987–1990	Mufulira Wanderers
1990–1999	Cercle Brugge
1994–1996	→ KRC Harelbeke (loan)
1999–2000	Zultse VV
2002	ZESCO United
International career
1988-1989	Zambia U16
1990-1991	Zambia U20
1990–1997	Zambia
Managerial career
2010–2012	Luanshya Hotspurs
2012–2014	Luanshya United
2019–2020	Ndola United
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Joel Bwalya (born 24 October 1972), also known as Joe Bwalya, is a Zambian football coach and former player who played for Mufulira Wanderers, Cercle Brugge, Harelbeke and Waregem. He is the younger brother of former Zambian captain Kalusha Bwalya. Bwalya featured for Zambia at the African Cup of Nations in 1990, 1994 and 1996 and has been the assistant coach at Zambia Super League club Zanaco since January 2020.

Early and personal life

Bwalya was born in Mufulira’s Kamuchanga township to Benjamin and Elidah Bwalya, the fifth born in a family of six boys and three girls. His father worked for the local council before joining the mines and was a soccer administrator, serving as chairman of Mufulira Blackpool FC and as a Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) committee member.

The brothers all played football with his elder brothers Benjamin Jr and Kalusha starting out at Mufulira Blackpool before joining Mufulira Wanderers. Bwalya’s younger brothers Chongo, Chizaya and Chipampe had less illustrious careers though they all played for Wanderers among other teams.

He grew up in a suburb of Mufulira called Eastlea and during his father’s tenure as chairman, Benjamin and Kalusha would take him along to Mufulira Blackpool matches to watch players like Alex Chola and Simon Kaushi. This developed his interest in football, and when his brothers later started featuring for Blackpool, the young Bwalya got inspired and started playing with his friends in any space they could find in the neighbourhood. He did his primary education at Pamodzi and Eastlea schools, before proceeding to Butondo and Mufulira Secondary schools. When he was in the 10th grade, he quit school to focus on a football career. Of this decision, he said: “I had no interest in school. I wanted to do what my heart desired, which was to play football.”

Club career

Bwalya played as a midfielder. He began his career with Mufulira Police in 1985, moving to Mufulira Wanderers in 1986, and becoming a first-team member in 1987. In 1988 he won the Independence Cup with Mufulira Wanderers.

He later played in Belgium for Cercle Brugge, KRC Harelbeke and Zultse VV. When he moved to Belgium in 1991 with Cercle Brugge, rejecting the chance to sign for Swiss club Grasshoppers, he did so because his older brother Kalusha had previously played for the club. In 1994 he was loaned to KRC Harelbeke for two years. Whilst with KRC Harelbekehe was voted the best foreign player in Division One. KRC Harelbekehe wanted to make the loan permanent, but Bwalya returned to Cercle Brugge.

He finished his career back in Zambia with ZESCO United.

Bwalya first played for Mutende Community Centre’s boys team before joining Mufulira Police-sponsored side Muchindu FC in 1985. The following year, he was drafted into the Wanderers youth team where he teamed up with other future internationals Tenant Chilumba and Harrison Chongo. By mid-1987, he had broken into the first team and began training with established stars like Ashios Melu, Efford Chabala, Philemon Mulala and Frederick Kashimoto. His first game for Wanderers was a friendly against Mutondo Stars in Kitwe and the following season, he won the Independence Cup when Wanderers beat Roan United 3-0 in the final in Lusaka. "Wanderers toast over ‘Uhuru’ cup," Times of Zambia, 24 October 1988] Bwalya was further motivated when legendary coach Samuel ‘Zoom’ Ndhlovu told him “you have the feeling, you have the technique, all that you have to do is work hard and you can be an awesome player.”

He was a squad player in the Zambian team that came third at the 1990 African Cup of Nations tournament in Algeria and during the tournament, an agent representing Swiss side Grasshoppers contacted him and negotiations with Wanderers began when he returned to Zambia. Unknown to him, there was also an offer from Belgian club Cercle Brugge and whereas Grasshoppers wanted an outright deal, Brugge were offering a three-month trial. Wanderers manager Barry Beardsley, the elder brother of English striker Peter Beardsley, sat him down to discuss the two options and advised him go to Belgium where they were familiar with Zambian players as his brother Kalusha and Charles Musonda had played there. Bwalya left Wanderers for Brugge in the summer of 1990 and was sent to train with the reserves for three months but within three days of his arrival, he played in a mid-week friendly and was taken off at half-time. He was concerned at this because he felt a bit overweight but Brugge officials told him they had seen enough and two days later, he signed a four-year deal. Bwalya later discovered that Cercle Brugge was a mid-table team while Grasshoppers would go on to take part in the UEFA Champions League. Earlier in his career as an amateur, Bwalya had harboured ambitions about playing in the number 10 role, but always felt that Kalusha and Musonda had played in that position yet after seeing him play, Brugge coaches assured him he was different as he could use both feet whereas Kalusha only used his left; and while Musonda was an excellent midfielder, he played almost in slow motion, so it meant he did not have to be like either of them. The first two years at the Jan Breydel Stadium were difficult for Bwalya as he was lonely and he could only get game time in the reserves and cup games. He was later loaned out in 1994 for two seasons to Harelbeke. He had two good seasons there and was voted the best foreign player in Division One with the highlight being reaching the semi-finals of the Belgian Cup where he crossed paths with Musonda's Anderlecht. Harelbeke wanted to make his loan permanent, but his parent club refused so he returned to Brugges to find a new coach in Jerko Tipuric who believed in his abilities and he ended up getting more game time and playing some of the best football of his career.

When his contract with Brugge came to an end and was not renewed, he joined Second Division Waregem on a three-year deal. Despite his best efforts, the move did not go as planned and the contract was mutually terminated after a season so he left for the United States where he coached at Progressive Soccer Academy in Dallas for a year.

Bwalya then returned to Zambia but did not immediately play for any club as he spent the year caring for his invalid father who had suffered a stroke and would eventually pass away in 2003. He planned to wind down his career at one of the Super Division clubs so he joined Zesco United in 2002. However, the coach, Dick Ngwenya felt threatened by the presence of a former international footballer who had played as a professional in Europe and was nearing retirement, and this led to a run-in with Bwalya who accused Ngwenya of treating him with a 'lack of respect,' so he quit after only one game. Years later, the two met when Bwalya was coaching in Luanshya and Ngwenya apologized for his attitude towards him.

International career

In 1988 he was a member of the Zambia under-16 team playing qualifying matches for the 1989 FIFA U-16 World Championship. He was also a squad member for the under-20 team at the 1991 African Youth Championship.

He also played for the senior team between 1990 and 1997, making his international debut at the age of 18. He was a squad member at the African Cup of Nations in 1990, 1994, and 1996.

It involved lifting him from his bed every morning and being by his side during the day before putting him to bed at night. Bwalya later said he appreciated this period as he got to know his father better and this drew them closer. [check red book] Afterwards, Bwalya planned to wind down his career at one of the Super Division clubs so he joined Zesco United in 2002.[tembo] However, the coach, Dick Ngwenya feeling threatened by the presence of a former international footballer who had played as a professional in Europe and was nearing retirement, was not receptive. Bwalya stated that Ngwenya disrespected him by talking down to him so he decided to quit after only one game. Years later, the two met when Bwalya was coaching in Luanshya and Ngwenya apologised for his attitude towards him.

Coaching career

He coached at Luanshya Hotspurs and Luanshya United. In 2017 he was an assistant coach at Red Arrows, before becoming manager of Ndola United. He left Ndola United in January 2020 to become an assistant coach at Zanaco.