Joel Bwalya

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Joel Bwalya

|image =

|full_name = Joel Kangala Bwalya{{Cite web|url=https://www.zanacofc.co.zm/my-zanaco/staff/staff-member/bwalya-joel-kangala|title=Staff Member|website=ZANACO Football Club Official Website}}

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|10|24|df=y}}

|birth_place =

|height =

|position = Midfielder

|currentclub = Kafue Celtic (manager)

|youthyears1 = 1985–1986

|youthclubs1 = Mufulira Police

|youthyears2 = 1986–1987

|youthclubs2 = Mufulira Wanderers

|years1 = 1987–1991

|clubs1 = Mufulira Wanderers

|caps1 =

|goals1 =

|years2 = 1991–1998

|clubs2 = Cercle Brugge

|caps2 = 28

|goals2 = 0

|years3 = 1994–1996

|clubs3 = → KRC Harelbeke (loan)

|caps3 =

|goals3 =

|years4 = 1999–2000

|clubs4 = Zultse VV

|caps4 =

|goals4 =

|years5 = 2004

|clubs5 = ZESCO United

|caps5 =

|goals5 =

|totalcaps =

|totalgoals =

|nationalyears1 =

|nationalteam1 = Zambia U16

|nationalcaps1 =

|nationalgoals1 =

|nationalyears2 =

|nationalteam2 = Zambia U20

|nationalcaps2 =

|nationalgoals2 =

|nationalyears3 = 1990–1997

|nationalteam3 = Zambia

|nationalcaps3 = 20

|nationalgoals3 = 1

|manageryears1 =

|managerclubs1 = Luanshya Hotspurs

|manageryears2 =

|managerclubs2 = Luanshya United

|manageryears3 = 2017

|managerclubs3 = Red Arrows (assistant)

|manageryears4 = 2017–2020

|managerclubs4 = Ndola United

|manageryears5 = 2020

|managerclubs5 = Zanaco (assistant)

|manageryears6 = 2021-

|managerclubs6 = Kafue Celtic

}}

Joel Kangala Bwalya (born 24 October 1972) is a Zambian football coach and former player who has been the manager of Kafue Celtic since August 2021.

Early and personal life

Bwalya grew up in Mufulira with two older brothers who were both also footballers, Benjamin and Kalusha.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cafonline.com/news-center/news/joel-bwalya-kalusha-s-often-forgotten-brother|title=Joel Bwalya, Kalusha’s often forgotten brother|first=CAF-Confedération Africaine du|last=Football|website=CAFOnline.com}}

He left school in the 10th grade to focus on a football career.{{cite news|title=Joel Bwalya shows one and all he's no fluke|publisher=Zambia Daily Mail|date=5 August 1993}}

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.[http://www.cerclemuseum.be/ Cerclemuseum] 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 Harelbeke, Bwalya was voted the best foreign player in Division One. Harelbeke wanted to make the loan permanent, but Bwalya returned to Cercle Brugge.

He finished his career back in Zambia with ZESCO United.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}}

International career

In 1988 Bwalya 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,{{NFT player|pid=50813|accessdate=18 September 2020}} 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.

Coaching career

Bwalya 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.

In August 2021, Bwalya was named manager of newly promoted top-tier side Kafue Celtic.[https://zambianfootball.co.zm/joel-bwalya-and-nchimunya-mweetwa-appointed-head-coach-and-physical-trainer-at-kafue-celtic/ Joel Bwalya and Nchimunya Mweetwa appointed head coach and physical trainer at Kafue Celtic] - Zambian Football