Zambia win dedicated to victims

plane crashed. There was a special significance in that,” Renard said.
“They found the strength. I don’t know where,” he added, fighting tears.
“I know we’re not the best, but we have a strength and force that animated our team”
Renard also praised the courage of Kalusha Bwalya, an iconic figure in Zambian football who would have been on the 1993 flight – which was taking the Zambia squad to a World Cup qualifier in Senegal when it crashed shortly after take-off from Libreville Airport, killing all 30 people on board – but had made his own way there.
“Kalusha was one of the best Zambian players of the last century,” Renard said. “Then he was coach of the national team, now our (Football Association) president.
“He knows how terrible this crash was for the nation. I want to dedicate this title to him, he gave me my chance when nobody knew me.”
Stoppila Sunzu converted the winning spot-kick for the jubilant Zambians, after Arsenal striker Gervinho missed for the Elephants following a goalless 120 minutes.
The defeat saw Cote d’lvoire miss out on their second title, despite not conceding a goal from open play in the entire competition.
Renard described his side’s unlikely triumph as an “enormous” achievement.
“My players were magnificent,” he said.
“I know we’re not the best but we have a strength and force that animated our team and made us African champions. They might make some tactical mistakes here and there but you can see the talent.
“This is something enormous – something that appeared unrealisable before the competition began,” added Renard, who managed Cambridge United briefly in 2004, before spending two years in charge of French side AS Cherbourg.
Renard also believes Zambia’s shock defeat of Cote d’lvoire in Sunday’s African Cup of Nations final was “written in the sky”.
The Frenchman was referring to Zambia’s quest to be crowned the continental champions in homage to their fallen comrades in the national team who were killed in a plane crash off the Libreville coast 19 years ago.
“We know what we wanted to honour this evening, it was a sign of destiny, written in the sky, there was a force with us. I think God has helped us and given us strength,” Renard told a post-final press conference.
After Zambia’s stunning 8-7 penalty shoot out defeat of hot favourites Cote d’lvoire Renard embraced Bwalya, the Zambian Football Federation chief and only survivor of the ill-fated ‘93 national team.
Bwalya it was who had enough confidence to appoint Renard, then assistant to Ghana manager Claude LeRoy, as coach of Zambia in 2008, and again to re-sign him in 2010.
Renard reflected: “Kalusha was one of the best Zambian players of the last century.
“Then he was coach of the national team, now our president.
“He survived the crash, he was supposed to have been on that plane which was going to play a World Cup qualifer against Senegal.
“He knows how terrible this crash was for the nation.
“I want to dedicate this title to him, he gave me my chance when nobody knew me.
“With Claude LeRoy and Kalusha I have been fortunate to have met these two people along my journey.”
He reckoned Zambia had been lucky to play all their games up to the final across the Gabonese border in Equatorial Guinea, explaining: “It was only possible for us to return to Gabon (to honour the 1993 team) if we made the final, that gave us incredible strength.”
Zambian midfielder Isaac Cansa said they appreciated they had achieved something enormous for the Zambian people.
“The 1993 tragedy played its role. We weren’t favourites for the competition or the final, but we believed in ourselves.”
Renard, who has joined a select club of Frenchman to win the Nations Cup, a group that includes LeRoy and Roger Lemerre, who won in 2004 with Tunisia, says his future lies with Zambia. It’s a fantastic country. I’m proud to bring the Cup back to Zambia.” – BBC Sport.