Freddie Mwila took over as captain for the World Cup qualifying match against Sudan in October 1968 which Zambia won 4–2 in Ndola but were eliminated after losing the return leg by the same margin.

The score was 3–1 after 90 minutes and after extra-time, Sudan came out on top and went through due to a strange rule which was in force at the time, that favoured the team that won the second leg in the event of a tie.

In September 1969 Chama left Bancroft to join Mufulira Wanderers for the then record fee in Zambian football which started at K1,600 but was negotiated down to K1,000.

In December 1971, Chama arrived in Lusaka from Nairobi where Zambia had lost the Jamhuri Cup to Kenya to discover that he had been axed from the Footballer of the Year shortlist along with Makwaza, Chitalu, Emment Kapengwe, Philip Tembo and Abraham Nkole for a variety of disciplinary reasons.

In Chama's case, he was barred for being sent off in a game against Malawi and failing to pay the subsequent fine until threatened with suspension, and for being cautioned in an international match against Kenya.

He won the league with Buffaloes in 1973, 1974 and 1975 and when Makwaza retired from international football in 1975, Chama succeeded him and led Zambia to a 2–1 victory against Uganda in July 1975 in CAN qualifier in Lusaka.

In November 1980 Zambia were then eliminated from the World Cup race by Morocco 5–4 on post match penalties in Lusaka after erasing a 2–0 first leg deficit.

Chama was still coach at Buffaloes when they faced defending champions Mufulira Wanderers in the final of the Heroes & Unity Cup in September 1986, the last cup final to be played at Dag Hammerskjoeld Stadium, which had to go to a replay when a ten-man Buffaloes held Wanderers 1–1, with Alfred Chella who was playing against his old club cancelling out Ashols Melu's 73rd-minute opener with 12 minutes remaining.

Chama thanked referee Costain Mweemba for sending off Patrick Mwamba in the 55th minute for rough play, as it 'propped up Buffaloes' fighting spirit.

Upon his return in December of that year, he charged that soccer standards in Zambia had retrogressed because of intrusion into its administration at club and national level by "too many ignorant people."

He then crossed the border into Zimbabwe where he was first appointed Highlanders Technical Advisor but later took over as coach, leading the Bulawayo outfit to two top four finishes including runners-up in 2004 and left after two years when his contract expired in August 2005.

Chama returned to Zambia and according to his son Dick Junior, was about to take up an appointment as Namibian national team coach when he fell ill and died of kidney failure after a bout of malaria on 21 March 2006 at Maina Soko Military Hospital in Lusaka.