Moses Simwala

Moses Simwala (16 July 1949 – 19 September 1993) was a Zambian footballer and coach.

Nicknamed 'the chairman,' Simwala featured for Zambia and Rhokana United (later Nkana Red Devils and now Nkana F.C.) as a right winger, the same club he would go on to coach for over 12 years and become the most successful coach in Zambian club football, winning the league title a record 8 times and 21 trophies in all.

He went to Wusaklie Primary School in 1959 and later moved to Nkana Primary School from where he was selected to Luanshimba Secondary School in 1966.

Simwala started playing football for the school team at Luanshimba in 1966, the same year in which he joined Rhokana United.

He was encouraged by the support from teammates Freddie Mwila, Stone Chibwe and Henry Kalimukwa who gave him advice and guidance in football.

The following year, he was selected to represent Zambia schools alongside players like George Mungwa, Peter M'hango, Richard Stephenson, Gibby Zulu, Edward Musonda, Emmanuel Mwape, Willie Phiri, Poni 'Express' Muyambango and Ackim Musenge.

Simwala was a skilful right winger with pace to burn and in his time at Rokana, he won the Challenge Cup in 1966 and the Heinrich (Chibuku) Cup in 1969, providing the cross for Eric Chekeloko's winner in a 1–0 victory over Mufulira Wanderers in Ndola.

Simwala first featured for the Zambia national team in October 1969 against Congolese club Daring Falcons in a three match series for the BAT Independence trophy, while he was still a schoolboy.

His full international debut came a year later in a CAN qualifier against Tanzania in Dar es Salaam.

This was also Nkana's first cup success since 1969 and they added the Champion of Champions cup later that year.

Simwala was rewarded with a coach of the year nomination but lost out to Roy Mulenga of Division I side ZESCO United, who uttered some unfavourable comments about Simwala when fans questioned his credentials for winning the award.

His favourite subjects were chemistry and health sciences and he completed his secondary school education in 1970.

His first goal for Zambia was in April 1973 when Zambia beat Ethiopia 4–2 in a World Cup qualifier in Lusaka.

Six months later, Simwala was on the score sheet again when Zambia beat Morocco 4–0 in another World Cup qualifier in Lusaka, a match which he rated as one of his most memorable games.

Playing alongside Zambian international stars Bernard Chanda and Brighton Sinyangwe, he won the Heinrich (Chibuku) Cup again in 1974.

He was a squad member at CAN 1974 where Zambia reached the final only to lose to Zaire after a replay.

When Dick Chama retired, Simwala was named captain and he led Zambia to the 1976 East and Central Africa football tournament where they lost the final 2–0 to Uganda.

In October 1977, Chanda was suspended by the club for disciplinary reasons and Simwala replaced him as club captain.

In December 1980, he decided to call time on his playing career and took up coaching.

He was part of Zambia's Olympic Games squad at Moscow 1980 and played all three games as Zambia bowed out in the first round.

His last game for Zambia came on 12 December 1980 in a 1–1 draw with Kenya during that country's Independence celebrations after which he announced his retirement from football to leave room to young players and took up the coaching job at Rhokana stadium.

In 1980, Simwala was appointed Rhokana United (who were by then renamed Nkana Red Devils) coach under Englishman Jeff Butler.

His first success was the 1982 Zambian league title when Nkana finished the season unbeaten in 22 league games.

It was the first time the Red Devils had won the league and it would be the first of 8 titles under Simwala.

The Devils retained the title the following year and lost it in 1984 to bitter Kitwe rivals Power Dynamos but made up the following year.

With 4 games to go, Simwala was sidelined and replaced by Butler as coach for the remaining 4 league games, after a poor run by the devils and the team responded by beating Power 2–0 at their home ground in the last game of the season and snatched the title by a point.

Simwala bounced back the following season and led Nkana to the 1986 title once again and though Nkana had done well in the league under Simwala, they had had a dismal run in cup competitions.

This changed in 1986 when they won the Zambian Cup for the first time ever, beating record cup holders Mufulira Wanderers 3–0.

He was voted Zambian coach of the year in 1988 and 1989.

Simwala was born in Kitwe to Katontoka and Belita Jimwala who originated from the North-Western Province of Zambia and settled in the Copperbelt town of Kalulushi, after which the family name changed to Simwala.

He was the third born of six sons and three daughters and played with home-made footballs with his friends at Twibukishe open grounds.

Nkana followed this up with another league title in 1988 and completely cast aside any doubts as to whether they were the dominant team in Zambian soccer.

Also known as the 'Clampers,' playing Nkana at their home ground Nkana Stadium was a daunting undertaking and few teams came away with anything.

That year's league title was even more impressive considering that seven senior players were suspended for a reasonable part of the season for refusing to sing the national anthem after losing the Heroes and Unity Cup to Green Buffaloes in a final which was played at Nkana Stadium.

They would go on to win the league in 1989 and 1990 and also represented Zambia in continental competitions, often reaching the Africa Club Champions Cup quarter-finals and semi-finals.

In 1990, Simwala attended a 3-month coaching course in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil where he had the opportunity of meeting Pele who lectured the attendees and gave them tips.

Later that year, he scored another achievement when he led Nkana to the final of the Africa Club Champions Cup against JS Kabylie of Algeria.

After a slender 1–0 defeat in the first leg, Nkana reversed the score line in Lusaka and the game went to penalties.

Mordon Malitoli's miss denied Nkana the coveted trophy.

In 1992, Simwala was appointed assistant national team coach to Samuel "Zoom" Ndhlovu.