17 Facts About David Chabala

David Efford Chabala, popularly known as Efford Chabala was Zambia's first choice goalkeeper from 1983 until his death in a plane crash off the Gabonese coast in 1993 and is one of Zambia's most capped players, with 108 full international appearances.

David Chabala was named Zambia's Sportsman of the Year in 1985.

David Chabala was born in Mufulira where his father was a miner, the fourth born in a family of 12.

David Chabala started out as a striker and played for Lubuto Amateur Club in Mufulira where his career in goal started by accident at the age of 17.

David Chabala reluctantly agreed but played so well and enjoyed playing in goal that he decided to make the switch permanent.

David Chabala soon succeeded Bernard Kabwe in the first team, making his debut on 27 July 1980 in a league encounter against Lusaka Tigers at Shinde Stadium in Mufulira.

David Chabala played in goal for the Wanderers side which featured other top players like Ashols Melu, Kalusha Bwalya, Frederick Kashimoto, brothers Philemon Kaunda and Philemon Mulala, and later Charles Musonda and Johnson Bwalya.

David Chabala thus followed in the footsteps of another great Wanderers goalkeeper Abraham Nkole, who scored a hat-trick in the final of the same competition in 1971.

David Chabala reverted to goalkeeping but reprised his striker's role again in the 1990 season for a few more games after which he went back between the posts.

David Chabala was disillusioned by stories that he was unhappy at the appointment of Ashols Melu as Wanderers assistant coach and therefore sold the game.

David Chabala was left out of Wanderers' next five matches but soon regained his position.

David Chabala was in goal for Zambia in their ill-fated attempt at winning the African Cup of Nations in 1986{link} where Zambia was knocked out in the group stages.

David Chabala made another appearance at the 1990 African Cup of Nations where journalists voted him the best goalkeeper at the tournament, keeping four clean sheets in five games and helping Zambia to third place.

David Chabala was consequently dropped from the team and he missed Zambia's next two qualification games.

David Chabala however said he was not surprised by the action and charged that he was paying the price for expressing his opinion prior to the Football Association of Zambia elections that the leadership should not change hands, which did not go down well with new President Michael Mwape.

Mwape in turn responded that David Chabala was dropped after reports that he was on suspension at his club, relating to the Independence Cup final loss to Nkana.

Wanderers clarified that David Chabala had served a 5 match suspension which had lapsed long before the Madagascar game.