Cash bonus for Zambia’s Afcon stars, clean up awards

“The government has given each one of you $59 000, and that is beside what the corporate organisations might decide to give. This money is from the government,” Chishimba Kambwili said on national radio.
The award is a princely sum in a nation where, per capita, the gross domestic product is less than $1 500.
Zambia defeated hot favourites Cote d’Ivoire 8-7 on penalties after 120 goalless minutes in Sunday’s final, which had emotional overtones for Zambia.
The final was staged in the Gabonese capital Libreville, off whose coast a military aircraft carrying the 1993 Zambian national squad plunged into the Atlantic Ocean, killing all 30 players, officials and crew on board.
The victorious national team returned home on Monday, sparking a near stampede at the Lusaka show grounds where 200 000 people gathered to celebrate the Chipolopolo Boys (Copper Bullets).
Players and government officials had to be whisked away amid chaotic scenes after fans became unruly.
But the win was also greeted with sombre prayers at the burial site of the 1993 squad, where President Michael Sata laid a wreath later yesterday to honour the team whose spirits are widely credited with ensuring Zambia’s victory.
Meanwhile, Chipolopolo proved at this Africa Cup of Nations that spirit and determination can take a team further than reputation and class.
Zambia captain Christopher Katongo was awarded the Man of the Competition award, with the Top Scorer award going to Emmanuel Mayuka.
The Chipolopolo skipper inspired his team to a first-ever Nations Cup victory, despite their underdogs tag, as they beat Cote d’Ivoire 8-7 in an epic penalty shootout.
Katongo and his teammate Mayuka each got three goals in the tournament – as did Didier Drogba, Manucho, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Cheick Diabaté and Houssine Kharja – but Mayuka was given the award, perhaps because of his first-rate acrobatics.
The Team of the Tournament features four Ivorians and four Zambians, as well as Seydou Keita and Adama Tamboura of Mali and John Mensah of Ghana.
The big names that were talked up ahead of the Nations Cup, such as Asamoah Gyan, Andre Ayew, Demba Ba and Mamadou Niang, did not make the tournament XI, and although Gervinho does, his performances were ultimately overshadowed by the unlikely stars of Zambia and their keeper, Kennedy Mweene.
In a tournament that many gloomily predicted would be “boring” without the powerhouses Egypt, Nigeria or Cameroon, Zambia, who were never even tipped as dark horses, gave fans one of the most exciting Afcon finals ever, catching the imagination and proving that big names do not equate to success, or even positive, charismatic football.
It is doubtful that the Ivorians’ Fair Play Award will do much to dull the pain of missing out on yet another title.
Tournament awards
Orange Man of the Competition: Christopher Katongo (Zambia).
Pepsi Top Scorer of the Competition: Emmanuel Mayuka (Zambia).
Samsung Fair Player of the Competition: Jean-Jacques Gosso Gosso (Cote d’Ivoire).
Fair Play Award: Cote d’Ivoire
Team of the Tournament
Kennedy Mweene (Zambia), Jean-Jacques Gosso Gosso (Cote d’Ivoire), Stoppila Sunzu (Zambia), John Mensah (Ghana), Adama Tamboura (Mali), Emmanuel Mayuka (Zambia), Yaya Gnegneri Toure (Cote d’Ivoire), Kouassi Gervais Yao (Cote d’Ivoire), Seydou Keita (Mali), Christopher Katongo (Zambia), Didier Drogba (Cote d’Ivoire) .
Substitutes
Boubacar Barry (Cote d’Ivoire); Fernando Da Gracia Gomez (Equatorial Guinea); Youssef Msakni (Tunisia); Mateus Contreiras Manucho (Angola); Pierre Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon); Sadio Diallo (Guinea); Cheick Tidiane Diabate (Mali); Eric Mouloungui (Gabon); Houssine Kharja (Morocco); Mudathir Eltaib Ibrahim (Sudan); Rainford Kalaba (Zambia); Kwadwo Asamoah (Ghana). – AFP/Kickoff.