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The 'Zambia national football team' is the association football team representing the country of Zambia and is governed by the Football Association of Zambia. The side is nicknamed ''Chipolopolo'' (the Copper Bullets) as copper is one of the southcentral African nation's main exports. The team has two African Nations Cup final appearances to its credit and among its most memorable moments is a 4-0 victory over Italy in the 1988 Olympic football tournament in Seoul, South Korea that saw Kalusha Bwalya score a hat-trick.

Contents

Gabon air disaster

Aftermath of the tragedy

List of players killed in the 1993 air disaster

Honours

World Cup record

African Nations Cup record

Current squad

External links

See also

Gabon air disaster

A tragedy befell the Zambian national football team when the military plane (reg: AF-319) carrying the team to Senegal for a 1994 World Cup qualification match crashed in the late evening of April 27, 1993. The journey required two refuelling stops and at the first stop in Congo engine problems were noted in the Zambian Air Force Buffalo DHC-5D. Despite this, the flight continued and a few minutes after taking off from a second stop in Libreville, Gabon one of the engines caught fire and failed. The pilot, who was tired from already having flown back from Mauritius earlier that day, then shut down the wrong engine, causing the plane to lose all power during the climb out of Libreville Airport and fall into the water 500m offshore.
All 30 passengers and crew, including 18 players, as well as the national team coach and support staff, were lost in the accident. When news reached Zambia hours later, the nation was overcome. The ''Chipolopolo's'' captain and later national team coach, Kalusha Bwalya, was not aboard the ill-fated flight as he was in the Netherlands playing for PSV at that time and had made separate arragements to make his own way to Senegal to take part in the qualifier match.

Aftermath of the tragedy

A new side was quickly assembled, and led by Bwalya, faced up to the difficult task of having to complete Zambia's World Cup qualifiers and then prepare for the upcoming African Nations Cup which was only months away.
The resurrected team's final World Cup qualifier pitted them against Morocco in Casablanca in a match requiring the ''Chipolopolo'' to come away with at least a tie in order to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Their qualification run ended with a 1-0 defeat after a controversial call by the referee in the closing moments of the game that denied Zambia a penalty shot that could have led to the crucial draw.
At the 1994 African Nations Cup, the new ''Chipolopolo'' squad defied the odds, and displaying an offensive playing style, they reached the final against Nigeria. They took the lead in the first half, but the ''Super Eagles'' quickly equalized and followed up with the winner in the second half. In spite of the loss, the Zambian side returned home as national heroes.
The loss of the national team is Zambian football's saddest moment and the effort of the rebuilt side is remembered as a suitable tribute. However, the families of the footballers who perished feel that they were never fully compensated for their personal loss and some have threatened to sue the government over the issue.

List of players killed in the 1993 air disaster

★ Efford Chabala (goalkeeper)

★ John Soko (defender)

★ Whiteson Changwe (defender)

★ Robert Watiyakeni (defender)

★ Eston Mulenga (midfielder)

★ Derby Makinka (midfielder)

★ Moses Chikwalakwala (midfielder)

★ Wisdom Mumba Chansa (midfielder)

★ Kelvin "malaza" Mutale (striker)

★ Timothy Mwitwa (striker)

★ Numba Mwila (midfielder)

★ Richard Mwanza (goalkeeper)

★ Samuel Chomba (defender)

★ Moses Masuwa (striker)

★ Kenan Simambe (defender)

★ Godfrey Kangwa (midfielder)

★ Winter Mumba (defender)

★ Patrick"bomber" Banda (striker)
Also among the deceased was National Team manager Godfrey "Ucar" Chitalu who was arguably the best footballer ever produced by Zambia.

Honours

:'COSAFA Cup'
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★ Champions: 1997, 1998, 2006
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★ Runners-up: 2004, 2005
:'CECAFA Cup'
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★ Champions: 1984, 1991, 2006
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★ Runners-up: 1976, 1977, 1978, 1988, 2006
:'African Nations Cup'
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★ Runners-up: 1974, 1994

World Cup record

As the former British colony of Northern Rhodesia, Zambia did not participate in World Cup qualification play until after its independence in 1964. The country's football association was formed in 1929 and joined FIFA in 1964.

★ 1930 to 1966 - ''Did not enter''

★ 1970 to 2006 - ''Did not qualify''

African Nations Cup record

★ 1957 to 1968 - ''Did not enter''

★ 1970 - ''Did not qualify''

★ 1972 - ''Did not qualify''

★ 1974 - Second place

★ 1976 - ''Did not qualify''

★ 1978 - Round 1

★ 1980 - ''Did not qualify''

★ 1982 - Third place

★ 1984 - ''Did not qualify''

★ 1986 - Round 1

★ 1988 - ''Withdrew''

★ 1990 - Third place

★ 1992 - Quarterfinals

★ 1994 - Second place

★ 1996 - Third place

★ 1998 - Round 1

★ 2000 - Round 1

★ 2002 - Round 1

★ 2004 - ''Did not qualify''

★ 2006 - Round 1

Current squad

(May, 2007)
'Goalkeepers':


Kennedy Mweene

George Kolala

Kalililo Kakonje


'Defenders':


Joseph Musonda

Billy Mwanza

Moses Sichone

Elijah Tana

Kennedy N'Ketani

Misheck Lungu

Lloyd Mumba

Clive Hachilesa

Edwin Phiri

Sashi Chalwe


'Midfielders':


Andrew Sinkala

Lameck Njovu

Felix Katongo

Isaac Chansa

Gift Kampamba

Numba Mumamba

Ian Bakala

Clifford Mulenga

Perry Mutapa

Mark Sinyangwe


'Forwards':


Christopher Katongo

Collins Mbesuma

James Chamanga

Linos Chalwe

Boyd Mwila

Rotson Kilambe

Rainford Kalaba

Dube Phiri

Harry Milanzi

Davies Mwape

Songwe Felix Chalwe

External links

★ Zambia FA official site

★ The Gabon air disaster accident report

See also

★ The Munich air disaster killed several members of English side Manchester United F.C. in 1958.

★ The 1989 crash of Surinam Airways Flight PY764 killed a group of Surinamese players known as "The Colorful 11", whose members played professional .

★ The Torino A.C. side known as ''Il Grande Torino'' that dominated post-war Italian football was lost in an air crash at Superga in 1949.