Zambia’s Nations Cup spirit worth emulating

The driven desire of the Zambian national soccer side to honour their fallen heroes who were wiped out in a plane crash in 1993 saw them lifting the 2012 African Cup of Nations trophy in a dramatic final against the star-studded Ivory Coast on Sunday.
With most Southern African countries, including Namibia, rooting for Chipolopolo as the Zambian side is affectionately known, the 8-7 penalty shoot-out victory was a bittersweet one.

There was surely special significance to Zambia’s Afcon victory considering the fact that they beat the bookmakers’ favourites like Senegal, Ghana and Ivory Coast who by their class and reputation were already tipped to win the Nations Cup.

Our neighbour’s football dreams were extinguished by genuine tragedy on April 27, 1993, when a Zambian military plane carrying the national team players crashed into the Atlantic Ocean killing all 30 people on board on the Gabonese coastline. So when Zambia arrived last month at the Nations Cup, the aim was not only to participate in the continental championship, but also to win the coveted title in memory of their fallen heroes.

Soon after Zambia defeated Ghana by a solitary goal in the semi-finals, there was renewed support pouring in from Lusaka with at least two plane loads of football fans heading to Libreville, Gabon for the final showdown.

On top of that, President Michael Sata gave Vice-President Guy Scott the honour of representing the government at the final. The Vice-President was accompanied by former Zambian President and the influential Kenneth Kaunda as well as the country’s fourth president, Rupiah Banda.

This again demonstrated the great passion that these leaders have for sport in their country, particularly for their national soccer side.

Our leaders can learn a thing or two from their Zambian counterparts and it is high time that they put petty politics aside and support the youth of this country for a bright sporting future.

The moral support also augurs well for unity in any country as sport is seen as a great unifier that has the power to cure the world’s ills.

And this was also demonstrated by Libya who managed to qualify for the Afcon finals despite the fact they were surrounded by hostility and violence for months during the Nations Cup qualifiers.