He was encouraged by the support from teammates Freddie Mwila, Stone Chibwe and Henry Kalimukwa who gave him advice and guidance in football.
[1] The following year, he was selected to represent Zambia schools alongside players like George Mungwa, Peter M'hango, Richard Stephenson, Gibby Zulu, Edward Musonda, Emmanuel Mwape, Willie Phiri, Poni 'Express' Muyambango and Ackim Musenge.
Playing alongside Zambian international stars Bernard Chanda and Brighton Sinyangwe, he won the Heinrich (Chibuku) Cup again in 1974.
[3] Simwala first featured for the Zambia national team in October 1969 against Congolese club Daring Falcons in a three match series for the BAT Independence trophy, while he was still a schoolboy.
Six months later, Simwala was on the score sheet again when Zambia beat Morocco 4–0 in another World Cup qualifier in Lusaka, a match which he rated as one of his most memorable games.
When Dick Chama retired, Simwala was named captain and he led Zambia to the 1976 East and Central Africa football tournament where they lost the final 2–0 to Uganda.
His last game for Zambia came on 12 December 1980 in a 1–1 draw with Kenya during that country's Independence celebrations after which he announced his retirement from football to leave room to young players and took up the coaching job at Rhokana stadium.
That year's league title was even more impressive considering that seven senior players were suspended for a reasonable part of the season for refusing to sing the national anthem after losing the Heroes and Unity Cup to Green Buffaloes in a final which was played at Nkana Stadium.
In 1990, Simwala attended a 3-month coaching course in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil where he had the opportunity of meeting Pele who lectured the attendees and gave them tips.
Simwala was picked to replace Ndhlovu as interim Zambian coach after Zambia lost a World Cup qualifier in Madagascar in December 1992, with Godfrey Chitalu and Alex Chola as his assistants.
Buffaloes had won their last league match against 'sister club' Ndola United by a score of 6–0, leaving Rokana with the unenviable task of beating Power Dynamos by 10 goals.
"[9] Simwala reacted angrily to the slight and accused Mulenga of being ignorant, "I work independently and my job is to get good results for Nkana.
Although Simwala denied punching the referee and insisted that he merely touched him in the process of gesticulating, the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) still found him culpable.
Four days later, he was taken ill again and admitted to Kabwe General Hospital and ruled out of the squad travelling to Tanzania for a crucial World Cup encounter.
Nkana management then took the decision to appoint Ben Bamfuchile as coach until such a time when Simwala recovered fully and in the meantime, handed him the role of Technical Advisor.
In September, Nkana travelled to Ghana to defend a one-goal lead against Asante Kotoko in the Africa Clubs Champions Cup quarter-final but lost 3–0.