Ali Kitonsa
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ali Kitonsa | ||
| Date of birth | 12 May 1939 | ||
| Place of birth | Butambala District, Uganda | ||
| Date of death | 23 March 2013 (aged 73) | ||
| Place of death | Uganda | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1959-1964 | Express | 18 | (54) |
| 1964 | Zamalek SC | ||
| 1965-1979 | Express | 18 | (36) |
| International career | |||
| 1961-1972 | Uganda | 16 | (30[1]) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Ali Kitonsa (12 May 1939 – 23 March 2013) was a Ugandan footballer who played as a striker. He is known as the first professional Ugandan footballer and regarded as one of the greatest players in Ugandan football history.[2]
Ali Kitonsa was one of the first players to be signed by Express founder Joseph "Jolly Joe" Kiwanuka, who spotted Kitonsa when Kitonsa was playing for King's College Buddo Secondary School. Thanks to his goals, the Red Eagles achieved promotion to the top flight in 1961. Kitonsa unofficially holds the record for the highest number goals in the Uganda Premier League in one season: 54 goals in 18 games as Express won the 1964 Kampala First Division League. The following season, Kitonsa signed with Zamalek SC, becoming the first professional Ugandan footballer. He didn't stay for long, as he returned to Express FC, picking up two more league titles, in 1974 and 1975. It is estimated that Kitonsa scored over 200 goals before retiring in 1979 at the age of 40.[3][4][5]