Post date: Jan 18, 2012 2:51:1 PM
Zambia's football fans hope the Africa Cup of Nations squad playing their first match of the tournament on Saturday (January 21) against Senegal will honor players who lost their lives in a plane crash in Gabon 19 years ago, and take the cup. This year AFCON is being hosted jointly between Gabon, the scene of the 1993 plane crash and Equatorial Guinea.
CHINGOLA, ZAMBIA (REUTERS) - Zambian soccer fans want a performance at the 2012 African Cup of Nations worthy of honouring the tragic death of its national soccer team, which perished off the coast of Gabon in 1993.
The KK 11, as they were fondly called in reference to first president, Kenneth Kaunda, died in a plane crash near the Gabonese capital on their way to Dakar, Senegal for the 1994 World Cup qualifier against that country's national team.
Expectations are high among Zambian soccer lovers who expect nothing less than a spectacular showing at the tournament, often referred to as CAN for its French acronym, beginning on January 21 and to be co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Zambia Soccer Fans Association chairman, Yotham Mwanza said the Chipolopolo or copper bullets needed to lift the Africa Cup trophy as a way of paying tribute to the country's fallen heroes.
"I think our word to them is let us you know if we want to pay back to the fallen heroes it's by winning the trophy, we need to bring it back home. It's important that we play believing in ourselves knowing that there were others before us who did not make it, who have died in the cause in the pursuit of the same, ah, now for you that are there it's time, that you must be able to bring glory to the Zambia national, to the Zambians," said Mwanza during a visit to the deceased soccer team's burial site outside Lusaka's Independence Stadium.
Some fans will be traveling to watch the games and wished the players well as they start their campaign against Senegal on Saturday.
The Chipolopolo are in Group A with co-hosts Equatorial Guinea, Libya and Senegal.
Gabon still triggers bitter memories among many Zambians of the death of the 25 passengers and five crew members who died in the crash.
"The tournament is being hosted in a country where we lost our players, I feel it's the time we lift the cup. We've waited for too long and I guess this is the best time that we will lift the cup," says Moses Makhanya, a soccer fan.
Soccer frenzy has gripped the nation and many expect Zambia's coach Frenchman, Herve Renard, who once ditched Zambia for Angola but has made a comeback to replace Italian, Dario Bonneti who helped the team qualify for AFCON, to lead the team to victory.
"I am expecting Zambia to bring Africa Cup of Nations (Trophy) here in Zambia because those strong teams there are not there like Egypt, Nigeria and Cameroon, those are the strong teams, they are not there. Only strong teams that is there is Ghana and Ivory Coast and I know Zambia can beat Ivory Coast if they meet in finals," says Felix Samalesi, a bus conductor.
"Senegal quite well, it's a tough country but I will go for Zambia because I am a Zambian national citizen," said another Lusaka soccer fan, Musonda Mbutuka.
The team that perished in 1993 is still regarded as the best side ever by analysts but fans hope that this time Zambia will make history in a more celebratory way -- by winning the Africa Nations Cup for the first time ever.