Zambia great Kalusha Bwalya finally lifted a African Cup of Nations trophy for his tragic team mates on Sunday, 19 years after they were killed in a plane crash.
Bwalya, the former national captain and now federation president, raised the cup at Libreville’s Stade de l’Amitie, just kilometres from where 18 members of the country’s 1993 team lost their lives.
Bwalya incredibly inspired Zambia’s 1994 squad to the African Cup final, but lost to Nigeria. Now Zambia finally won, in its third final, to give Bwalya the chance to honour his fallen compatriots and friends.
He poignantly held the trophy up with his right hand to salute them after the 2012 Zambians rode a wave of emotion on their return to the city to beat Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties.