The 28th of April marks the day where Zambian national team perished in an airplane disaster 1993 in Gabon, and the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has paid homage to the departed as they mark the 29th anniversary.
The fallen heroes were on the way to Senegal for a 1994 World Cup qualifier match when their plane plunged into the Atlantic Ocean near Libreville, Gabon.
According to FAZ portal, the association president Andrew Kamanga led a low-key commemoration at the Heroes Acre located outside the old Independence Stadium.
Zambia’s Director of Sports John Zulu also joined the commemoration that also had family members, ex-footballers and football fans marking the anniversary.
“We cannot over-emphasize the role the heroes played, they sacrificed a lot, and they paid the ultimate price with their lives on national duty,” Kamanga said.
“Next year is going to be a big celebration, we hope we can organize some international game around the event.”
Kamanga added that next year would be special marking 30 years since the heroes fell and AFCON qualification will be a befitting memory.
“It will be a befitting gift to the fallen heroes if we can remember them with victory in 2023 but first, we need to qualify then we can think about how far we can go in the tournament. 2023 Africa Cup will be a special moment because it will be 30 years since the heroes died,” he said.
Eighteen Chipolopolo players were among the passengers in a chartered military plane that crashed shortly after take-off following a stopover in Libreville.
The families of the bereaved received financial compensation from the State in 2002, but promises that the official report would be released remain unfulfilled.
