By Martin Moses,
@_martinmoses
Prior to that penalty shootout, Stoppila Sunzu was just another centre back plying his trade for TP Mazembe. But now, after the Gervinho miss, he had a chance to gift Zambia her first ever Africa Cup of Nations title against the star studded Ivory coast team led by Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure and the likes.
Turmoil of thoughts
Sunzu walked past Gervinho who kept changing in between looking up in the air and covering his face with his shirt. Myriad of thoughts must have passed through Sunzuʻs mind. Will I waste my teamʻs chance the same way Rainford Kalaba did after Kolo Toure had his attempt parried away by Kennedy Mweene? He must have thought about Joseph Musonda who left the pitch in tears after just 11 minutes. He must have thought of how the Chipolopolo had uncharacteristically raided the Elephants line but had been kept at bay by Boubacar Barry. The same Barry he was up against for a chance at glory.
Or better yet and most significantly, Sunzu thought of Kalusha Bwalya who was sitting pensively in the technical area. And by extension the great 1993 team of 18 players whose lives were cut short on the 27th day of April 1993 shortly after taking off from Libreville, the same town that Zambia and Ivory Coast had played out to a drab and dour draw leading to these penalties. The thought of paying tribute to the likes of Efford Chabala, John Soko, Moses Chikwalakwala and Patrick ʻBomberʻ Banda by winning an unprecedented AFCON title seemed like offering the greatest possible memorial.
The team is to date considered the greatest Zambiaʻs football team having proved their mettle in the Seoul Olympic games of 1988 after beating Italy, you got that right, Italy 4-0. The Zambian Air Force DHC 5D Buffalo flight they were travelling in fell into the Atlantic Ocean some 500 metres off the shore of Libreville, Gabon. They were buried just outside the Independence stadium in Lusaka in the Heroes Acre. But for Kalusha, their captain, who had made different travel arrangements was here at the Stade dʻAngondje stadium just about to witness the most famous victory in the history of Zambian sports.
Sunzu duly converted to put to an end a poignant penalty shootout. And as it dawned on Didier Drogba that this was yet another near miss, Christopher Katongo led his players in embracing Kalusha, tears of joy flowing freely.
It is exactly 27 years today since that crash that shook Africa.
To our fallen heroes, football remembers, I remember.
THE TOUCHLINE 