When Zambia arrive in Libreville Thursday they will keep a promise they made before the competition began to honour the dead from the 1993 air crash that wiped out the national team off the coast of Gabon.
Over three weeks ago Zambia keeper Kennedy Mweene had told AFP: “The best way to honour the Zambian stars is by doing well at this Africa Cup of Nations to put the souls of our fallen heroes to rest.”
And later Thursday that is precisely what he and the rest of the Copper Bullets will be doing after securing their place in Sunday’s Nations Cup climax.
Zambia kept their date with their fallen comrades on the ill-fated Zambian Air Force flight when stunning Ghana 1-0 in Wednesday’s semi-final in Bata across the border in Equatorial Guinea.
And in the post-match euphoria coach Herve Renard pledged that immediately on arrival in Libreville he and his squad would be paying homage to those who perished when their plane ditched into the Atlantic 500 metres off the Gabonese capital.
“It was written in the stars that we had to return to Gabon in order to honour the memories of the national side wiped out in 1993,” said Renard.
“Twelve million Zambians wanted us to go the whole way to Libreville. As soon as we arrive in Libreville, we will go to the spot where the plane crashed, not far from the stadium.
“It is imperative we play for them, for Zambia, because it is a fantastic country.”
The plane was en route to a 1994 World Cup qualifier against Senegal in Dakar.
All 30 people, 25 passengers and five crew, on board died.
An official inquiry found that pilot fatigue and an instrument error had contributed to the disaster which happened shortly after the plane refuelled in Libreville.
Only former African Footballer of the Year Kalusha Bwalya avoided one of the great African football tragedies because he was based in the Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven and travelled directly to Dakar from Europe.
“Most of us were in primary school when the crash happened, but Kalusha remembers it vividly and has encouraged us to keep those who perished in our minds whenever we fight for our country,” Mweene told AFP before setting off to Gabon.
Ivory Coast coach Francois Zahoui is acutely aware of the emotion enveloping Zambia’s appearance in Sunday’s final.
But he said Ivory Coast too were in Gabon to help ease the pain of a nation trying to shake off the scars of civil war.
“We respect Zambia. After the 1993 crash they were able to reconstruct their team with patience.
“But we too, with what’s happened in Ivory Coast, have in our hearts the aim to win this trophy. Football can contribute to social cohesion.
“Our country is behind us. There are lots of prayers and expectations behind the team.”
