Jean-Paul Kalala
Jean-Paul Kamudimba Kalala, also known as JP Kalala, is a former Congolese footballer who played as a midfielder. He was born on February 16, 1982, in Lubumbashi, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo).
Kalala began his career with Nice in France, making his first-team debut in 2003. He moved to England in 2005 to join Grimsby Town, where he is remembered for scoring a late goal that eliminated Tottenham from the League Cup.
He then played for Yeovil Town (2006–2007), Oldham Athletic (2007–2009), and had a loan spell back at Grimsby Town in 2008–2009. Kalala returned to Yeovil in 2009 and stayed until 2011, before moving to Bristol Rovers later that year and then Southend United (2011–2012).
Across his club career, Kalala made 304 league appearances and scored 13 goals.
Internationally, he earned seven caps for the DR Congo from 2002 to 2006.
Kalala retired from professional football in 2012 and settled in Nice, France, where he works as a barber and owns a beauty salon named Estika. He became a French citizen in 2004.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 16:58 (CET).