Julien Kialunda

Julien Kialunda
Kialunda with Anderlecht
Personal information
Date of birth (1940-04-24)24 April 1940
Place of birth Matadi, Belgian Congo
Date of death 14 September 1987(1987-09-14) (aged 47)
Place of death Antwerp, Belgium
Position(s) Central defender
Youth career
1960 Daring Léopoldville
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1960–1965 Union Saint-Gilloise
1965–1973 Anderlecht 123 (3)
1973–1980 Léopold FC
International career
1972 Zaire 5 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Julien Kialunda (24 April 1940 – 14 September 1987[1]) was a Congolese footballer. He was one of the first Congolese footballers to play professionally in Europe.[2] He represented Zaire at the 1972 African Cup of Nations.[3]

Club career

Kialunda played for Union Saint-Gilloise, RSC Anderlecht and Léopold FC in Belgium.[1] He was a four-time Belgian league champion with Anderlecht.

International career

Kialunda represented Zaire at the 1972 African Cup of Nations in Cameroon, starting in all five of his team's matches as Zaire finished fourth.[3]

Post-career

After his retirement, Kialunda as the national coach of the Zaire national team, though without much success. He also owned a cafe in the Brussels neighborhood of Matonge, known for its predominantly African population. In 1987, after falling ill with AIDS, he returned to Belgium for treatment and died on 14 September of that year.

In his memory, the "Julien Kialunda Foundation" was established, dedicated to supporting worthy causes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The foundation is sponsored by professional players of African origin who play or grew up in Belgium, like the brothers Mbo and Émile Mpenza, Mohammed Tchité and Anthony Vanden Borre.[4]

Honours

Union Saint-Gilloise

Anderlecht

References

  1. ^ a b "Julien Kialunda". www.voetbal.com. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  2. ^ C. Onwumechili; G. Akindes (8 April 2014). Identity and Nation in African Football: Fans, Community and Clubs. Palgrave Macmillan UK. pp. 289–. ISBN 978-1-137-35581-2.
  3. ^ a b "African Nations Cup 1972 - Final Tournament Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  4. ^ Benoît Delhauteur (30 November 2006). "VdB, Tchité et les frères Mpenza parrains de la fondation Kialunda". www.dhnet.be. Retrieved 3 May 2018.


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