Jean-Paul Kalala

Football player infobox
playername = Jean-Paul Kalala


fullname = Jean-Paul Kamudimba Kalala
height = height|ft=5|in=10
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1982|3|16
cityofbirth = Lubumbashi
countryofbirth = Zaire
currentclub = Oldham Athletic
clubnumber = 4
position = Midfielder
years = 1999–2003
2003–2005
2005–2006
2006–2007
2007–
clubs = Nice B
Nice
Grimsby Town
Yeovil Town
Oldham Athletic
caps(goals) = 89 (1)
02 (0)
21 (5)
38 (1)
20 (0)
nationalyears = 2003–
nationalteam = Congo DR
nationalcaps(goals) = 06 (0)
pcupdate = 23:04, 6 April 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 23:51, 31 January 2008 (UTC)

Jean-Paul Kamudimba Kalala (born March 16 1982 in Lubumbashi, Katanga) is a Congolese football midfielder who currently plays for Oldham Athletic in Football League One. His predominant position is as a midfielder.

Jean-Paul started his career with French club OGC Nice in 1999, but it took him until 2003 to gain a promotion to the clubs first team. After only 2 league appearances he was released at the end of the 2004-2005 season.

He then moved to England and joined Grimsby Town in June 2005 initially on a trial along with several other French league players. His first appearance for Grimsby, was in a 1-1 draw against Rotherham United in pre-season in which Kalala hit the post from 25 yards. On July 1, 2005 he made his move to Grimsby a permanent one. Kalala was a regular in the first team, and his early season performances helped the club become early leaders in the league.He famously scored a wonder goal that sent Premiership side Tottenham Hotspur out of the 2005 League Cup. The goal came in the 87th minute that saw Grimsby win the game 1-0. Jean Paul lost his place in the starting XI to Ciaran Toner after he went to the African Nations Cup to represent the Democratic Republic Of Congo, and on his return he found it tough going to dislodge Toner from the first team again.

He was part of the Congolese 2004 African Nations Cup team, who finished bottom of their group in the first round of competition, thus failing to secure qualification for the quarter-finals. In 2006 he was again part of the squad that reached the quarter-finals, but did not get on the pitch.

He joined Yeovil in the summer of 2006 on a free transfer from Grimsby, where he followed Russell Slade and Goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall to Huish Park.

After one season with the Somerset club, where he was part of the side that reached the playoff final, he moved again on a free to League One side Oldham Athletic.

External links

*soccerbase|37740|Jean-Paul Kalala