Zambians celebrate

waited for too long, and this is a well-deserved victory.”
Confident of victory before the kick-off of a final won 8-7 on penalties against Cote d’lvoire after 120 goalless minutes, thousands clad in the orange, green and black of the national team blew horns after an emotional success.
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.
French coach Herve Renard and a squad containing only one player who lines up for a first division club in Europe vowed to bring the trophy back to Lusaka as a tribute to those who died.
Zambia went football crazy in the hours leading up the final and even heavy rain could not dampen the spirits of Chipolopolo (Copper Bullets) fans as they crowded into bars and clubs or watched the match at home. Among those who saw Zambia triumph at the Stade de l’Amitie was former president Kenneth Kaunda with the national team known as the “KK XI” until he was voted out of office in 1991 after leading the country for 27 years. Many fans attributed their success over the star-studded Elephants to the benevolence of the spirits of their fallen comrades in the national team who died 19 years ago as they headed to a World Cup qualifier. From the word go, I knew that Zambia would win, because that is where our fathers are resting, in Gabon,” said Michael Mwale, who like many Zambians cheered the team in a pub with satellite television for the live broadcast. – AFP.