Justin Shonga is a figure that draws mixed reactions from football fans and people alike but one thing they all agree on is his prowess in front of goal.
The former Orlando Pirates forward knows where the goal is and has scored some spectacular goals during his career so far.
That’s why it’s not surprising that he is the player with the second best goal to game ratio for Chipolopolo.
Shonga has netted 16 times for the Copper Bullets in 33 outings translating into a 0.49 goal per game ratio.
By any standards that’s impressive and only the great Godfrey Ucar Chitalu with 79 goals in 111 appearances has a better goal to game ratio of 0.71.
1988 African footballer of the year, Kalusha Bwalya, the left footed ball wizard sits on third with a 0.45 goal per game ratio after scoring 39 goals in 87 appearances.
Power Dynamos legend Alex Chola and Bernard ‘Bomber’ Chanda have 0.42 goal per game ratio while Collins Mbesuma who scored 22 times in 65 games has a 0.34 goal per game ratio.
Shonga has also hit double figures at Edwin Imboela Stadium becoming the first player since Keegan Phiri back in 2003 to do so.
He has scored 10 goals in 20 appearances for the Zambia Police outfit this season.
Shonga is also Zambia’s leading scorer in the COSAFA Cup with 6 goals.
At club level, Shonga has also played for Ismaily SC, Sekhukhune United, Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila F.C (TTM), Cape Town City and Orlando Pirates in the South African DSTV Premiership.
Shonga joined Pirates in September 2017 under former Chipolopolo Boys head coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic and was a key player for the Sea Robbers between 2017 and 2019.
Shonga was influential as the Buccaneers finished second in the Premier Soccer League in the 2017/18 season and 2018/19 campaign, while also reaching the 2018 Nedbank Cup final.
The Zambian however fell out of favour late in 2019 and struggled for game time under coaches Rhulani Mokwena and Josef Zinnbauer.
Shonga scored 16 goals and provided 16 assists in 77 appearances for the Buccaneers.
Shonga is however not part of coach Avram Grant’s provisional squad for the 2023 AFCON penultimate rounds of qualifiers.
Zambia host Cote D’Ivoire on 17th June in the fifth round of the CAF 2023 African Cup of Nations qualifiers at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola.
GOALS PER GAME RATIO
1. Godfrey Chitalu 0.71 goals per game (Played 111 scored 79)
2. *Justin Shonga 0.49 goals per game (played 33 scored 16)*
3. Kalusha Bwalya 0.45 goals per game. ( played 87 scored 39)
4. Alex Chola 0.42 goals per Game. (Played
102 scored 43)
4. Bernard Chanda 0.42 goals per game. ( Played 68 scored 29)
6. Collins Mbesuma 0.34 goals per game. ( played 65 scored 22)
7. Dennis Lota 0.27 goals per game. ( played 78 scored 21)
7. James Chamanga 0.27 goals per Game. ( played 63 scored 17.)
9. Kenneth Malitoli 0.24 goals per game. ( played 80 scored 19)
10. Christopher Katongo 0.22 goals per game ( played 103 scored 23)
I honestly like Shonga, but when it comes to national team football these days, you’ve got to establish yourself with a club first and when it comes to that, Shonga has been on and off form, but I honestly still prefer the man to Daka
@Jayson Mundia , awe what a preference. Admittedly, Daka is featuring in one of the highlights leagues in the world and Shonga has only featured in third or fourth rated leagues on planet . Hence two can’t match in preference.