Kenneth Malitoli

Kenneth Malitoli (born 20 August 1966) is a Zambian coach and former footballer. Nicknamed 'Bubble', Malitoli is one of Zambia's most decorated players and was Zambian league top scorer in three consecutive seasons, as well as top scorer in Tunisia in 1993 and 1994. He is regarded as Nkana Football Club's most prolific striker after Bernard Chanda. He won the CAF Champions League with Tunisian club Espérance in 1994 and featured at four CAN tournaments in 1990, 1994, 1996 and 1998. Malitoli is currently coaching Zambian Division I South side Lusaka City Council.

Early life Malitoli was born in Kitwe and he attended Wusakile Primary and Mindolo Secondary Schools. He first joined Rhokana United's Ajax Youth Academy in 1981 before being promoted to the main team three years later.

Playing career

Club career Malitoli was still a schoolboy when he made his debut in the 1985 season in a star-studded Rhokana side which had by then been renamed Nkana Red Devils. The centre of Nkana's attack featured Zambian stars Jericho Shinde and Michael Chabala so the teenaged Malitoli had to be content with a place on the wing, fighting it out with Jerry Kaoma, Beston Chambeshi, Golden Kazika and James Jengela for the two wide slots. He won his first piece of silverware that year when Nkana pipped Power Dynamos to the league title. He would go on win four more Zambian league championships in a trophy-laden career with Nkana who dominated the Zambian soccer scene for more than a decade. Malitoli's elder brother Mordon also featured for Nkana as a defender.

Malitoli won the Zambian league's top goal scorer award in 1989 and repeated the feat twice more in succession in 1990 and 1991, and declared that should he not clinch a professional contract outside Zambia in the 1992 season, then he would certainly retain the award as it had become ‘personal-to-holder.’

Malitoli's exploits in front of goal brought him to the attention of foreign scouts and 1. FC Union Berlin and after impressing on trial, he was set to join the German club in 1991 but changed his mind and turned back at Lusaka International Airport, deciding that the monetary aspect of the deal was not worthwhile. After more negotiations, Malitoli got an improved offer but when he was left out of Zambia's 1992 CAN squad, the German club, disappointed at not seeing their target in action at the continental showpiece, changed their minds and instead signed on his club mate Gibby Mbasela who impressed at the tournament, with Nkana officials agreeing to swapping the two players on the same contract terms. In September 2004, he was appointed coach of Ndola side Forest Rangers where he stayed for two years, and was on the move again in January 2007, when he replaced Jericho Shinde as Head Coach of Nkana, who were then in Division I and aiming to return to the top league and after a flying start that saw them go on a 13 match unbeaten run to open up a 14-point gap. Nkana decided against renewing Malitoli's short-term contract for a further six months due to what the club termed budgetary constraints though the move appeared to have been triggered by Nkana picking up just two points in five games after the team was banned from using their home ground due to crowd trouble.

He then joined Nchanga Rangers in September of that year, with the club explaining that he was still the coach and was just on suspension. However, the club relieved Malitoli of his duties at the end of the season and he moved to Lusaka City Council F.C. mid-way through the 2014 season.

Political career In 2001, Malitoli ran for election as a member of parliament in Kitwe's Wusakile constituency, on the Heritage Party ticket. From a field of 9 candidates, he polled 11.75% of the votes to emerge second.

He has not been active in politics since then.

Personal life Malitoli is a widower after he lost his wife Given, with whom he had two children, in October 2003. He also has two children from a previous relationship.