Stoppila Sunzu

Stoppila Sunzu
Personal information
Date of birth22 June 1989
Place of birthChingola, Zambia
Height1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing positionCentre back / Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current team
Shanghai Greenland Shenhua
Number13
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2005–2007Konkola Blades
2007–2008Afrisports
2008–2010Zanaco Lusaka
2008–2009→ LB Châteauroux (loan)0(0)
2010–2014TP Mazembe
2014Sochaux27(4)
2015–Shanghai Greenland Shenhua
National team‡
2007Zambia U-20
2008–Zambia50(3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:37, 6 January 2014 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 22:37, 14 November 2013 (UTC)

Stoppila Sunzu (born 22 June 1989), also known as Stophira Sunzu, is a Zambian footballer who plays for China side Shanghai Greenland Shenhua as a defender. He scored the winning penalty kick for Zambia in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations Final.

Early life

Stopilla Sunzu was born in Chingola and is the younger brother of Felix Sunzu and the son of Felix Sunzu Sr a goalkeeper who was originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo.[1]

Club career

He began his career with Afrisports of Kitwe. He was discovered at a U-16 tournament in Chambeshi, Zambia and he was referred to Afrisports.[2]

He then joined Konkola Blades under a loan arrangement. He was a prominent member of the Zambian U-20 squad that played at the 2007 U-20 World Cup. In that tournament, Zambia defeated an Uruguayan side that featured Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani. After this the 19-year-old was invited for trials at the English side Reading. The Championship side was keen on securing him on a longer deal but due to work permit problems the move did not materialise. He signed a loan contract for LB Châteauroux in September 2008 and after the end of the season end on 30 June 2009 returned to Zanaco FC.[3]

In 2010 Sunzu transferred to TP Mazembe of Democratic Republic of Congo. His registration to Zanaco was a loan from Afrisports and there was some initial dispute regarding his move to TP Mazembe but it was eventually resolved.[4] He was sent off in their opening 2010 FIFA Club World Cup game. In January 2013 he trained with Reading in the English Premier League with a view to being offered a contract. He returned to the 2013 African Cup of Nations without any contract being signed.[5][6] Sunzu came to Reading on the premise of being a free agent, with his three-year contract expiring in December 2012. Moses Katumbi, president of TP Mazembe, accused Sunzu's handlers of lying to Reading about his contract stating that it does not expire until 2015.[7]

On 6 January 2014, Sunzu joined French Ligue 1 club Sochaux-Montbéliard along with his team-mate Nathan Sinkala.[8][9] and has been scoring important goals to ensure the team survives relegation.

On 29 December 2014, Sunzu transferred to Chinese Super League side Shanghai Greenland Shenhua.[10] He made his debut and scored his first goal for Shanghai Greenland Shenhua on 8 March 2015, in a 6–2 victory against city rivals Shanghai Shenxin.[11]

International career

Sunzu represented his country at the 2007 U-20 World Cup in Canada.[12] He made his full international debut against Botswana in a 2009 African Championship of Nations qualifier. Sunzu scored the winning penalty of the penalty shoot-out in the final of the 2012 African Cup of Nations against Ivory Coast, which Zambia won 8–7.[13]

In October 2013, due to a disagreement between their club TP Mazembe and the Zambian Football Association over international call-ups, Sunzu and two other players (Nathan Sinkala and Rainford Kalaba) were the subject of a Zambian arrest warrant.[14] All three players later had their passports confiscated by Zambian immigration authorities,[15] before being pardoned by the Zambian government.[16]

Honours

Club

Zanaco
TP Mazembe

National team

Zambia

References

  1. ↑ Zanaco’s Chileshe : Sunzu ‘ll be the anchorman for the Chipolopolo
  2. ↑ Zambia: Afrisports Boss Hails Sunzu, Kalaba Nomination
  3. ↑ Transferred to LBC
  4. ↑ "ZSunzu belongs to us, says Afrisports director". Post Zambia. Retrieved 11 February 2010.
  5. ↑ Sunzu, Stopilla (14 January 2013). "Reading: Zambian Stopilla Sunzu training with Royals". BBC. Retrieved 17 January 2013.
  6. ↑ "Stoppila Sunzu's move to Reading stalls due to doubts about TP Mazembe contract". www1.skysports.com. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  7. ↑ "Sunzu's Reading move hits snag". www.mtnfootball.com. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  8. ↑ "Accords pour les venues de Sunzu et Sinkala" (in French). Official Website of FC Sochaux-Montbéliard. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  9. ↑ "Zambian pair Sinkala and Sunzu set to join Sochaux". BBC Sport. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  10. ↑ 申花正式宣布苏祖加盟 新赛季套票价格微涨
  11. ↑ 中超-恩里克3球卡希尔造乌龙 申花6-2申鑫
  12. ↑ Fifa Profile
  13. ↑ Magowan, Alistair (12 February 2012). "Africa Cup of Nations: Zambia win dramatic shoot-out". BBC.co.uk (BBC Sport). Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  14. ↑ Ian Hughes (15 October 2013). "Zambia internationals: Arrest warrants issued for trio". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  15. ↑ Kennedy Gondwe and Ian Hughes (19 October 2013). "Zambia confiscate Kalaba, Sinkala and Sunzu's passports". BBC Sport. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  16. ↑ Kennedy Gondwe (22 October 2013). "Kalaba, Sunzu & Sinkala pardoned by Zambian government". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 October 2013.

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