Christopher Katongo

Chris Katongo

Personal information
Date of birth	(1982-08-31) 31 August 1982
Place of birth	Mufulira, Zambia
Height
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current team	Golden Arrows
Number	58
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1999	Butondo West Tigers
1999–2001	Kalulushi Modern Stars
2001–2004	Green Buffaloes	75	(20)
2004–2007	Jomo Cosmos	72	(36)
2007–2008	Brøndby	44	(10)
2008–2010	Arminia Bielefeld	61	(10)
2010–2011	Skoda Xanthi	28	(2)
2011–2013	Henan Construction	71	(21)
2014	Golden Arrows	11	(0)
2014–2015	Bidvest Wits F.C.
2015–	Green Buffaloes F.C.
National team‡
2003–	Zambia	93	(22)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12 March 2014. † Appearances (goals) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 6 March 2014

Christopher Katongo (born 31 August 1982) is a Zambian international footballer and plays professionally for Zambia Premier Soccer League club Green Buffaloes F.C. as a striker. He is an Africa Cup of Nations winner and won the BBC's African Footballer of the Year award in 2012, winning just over 40% of the public vote. His win is stated to have inspired a number of young players in Zambia.

Career

Club career

Born in Mufulira, Katongo played with Butondo West Tigers and Kalulushi Modern Stars before moving to Green Buffaloes in 2001. Whilst at Buffaloes, Katongo twice scored four times in CAF Confederation Cup games. In 2004, Katongo moved to South African side Jomo Cosmos, before moving to Danish side Brøndby in January 2007. In August 2008, Katongo moved again, this time to German club Arminia Bielefeld. In July 2010, he moved to Greece to play for Skoda Xanthi.

In July 2011, Katongo signed a two-and-half-year contract with Chinese Super League side Henan Construction. He made his Super League debut on 10 July in a 0–0 home draw against Changchun Yatai. His first goal for Henan came, in a 2–1 away defeat, against Dalian Shide on 10 September 2011. Katongo scored two goals in 16 appearances in the 2011 league season.

In March 2014, Katongo joined South African side Golden Arrows on a four-month deal, three months after leaving the Chinese club.

International career

Katongo made his international debut for Zambia in 2003, and after scoring a hat-trick against South Africa in September 2007, Katongo was promoted in the Zambian Army from corporal to sergeant.

Katongo has appeared in FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.

Katongo won the Player of the Tournament during the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, in which he was the captain for the winning side, having beaten Côte d'Ivoire 8–7 on penalties after a goalless match, scoring the first of the penalties himself.

He was called up to Zambia's 23-man squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

In October 2014 he was thrown out of a Zambian training camp, and in December 2014 he was left out of Zambia's preliminary squad for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

He was in the 2016 preliminary squad for the CHAN.

Personal life

His younger brother Felix is also an international player.