Republican President Michael Sata this morning laid wreaths at the burial site of the victims of the 1993 Gabon Air disaster.
President Sata was accompanied by some Cabinet ministers, defence service chiefs and senior government officials in paying tribute to the fallen heroes who died in a plane crash off the coast Libreville in Gabon.
This follows Zambia’s triumph at the 2012 Africa cup of nations in Gabon were they were crowned champions of Africa.
The ceremony was characterized by solemn music by the Zambia Army brass band and prayers by the Zambia Air Force Director of chaplaincy Lieutenant Eugene Nyambe.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the ceremony, President Sata said it is prudent to pay tribute to the fallen heroes as they were the pioneers of the present success by the current national team.
He has since urged the current Chipolopolo boys not to relent but to work hard in their future endeavors like their counterparts who perished while pursuing silverware for the country.
On Sunday, the Chipolopolo boys were crowned Champions of Africa after they emerged victorious in the 2012 African Cup of Nations tournament in Gabon.
And The American Government has joined in congratulated the Zambian national soccer team for being crowned champions of African football after beating the Ivory Coast in the finals played on Sunday in Libreville, Gabon.
U.S Ambassador to Zambia Mark Storella in a statement released to QFM says the Chipolopolo victory was well-deserved.
He says he was impressed by the determination of the Chipolopolo boys as he watched the game.
Ambassador Storella says the team’s performance and the unwavering support from of the fans reflected the courageous spirit of the Zambian people, adding that the entire United States Mission staff celebrates Zambia’s triumph.
He observed that the win was special for Zambia in honoring the memories of the team lost in the 1993 Gabon plane crash and symbolizing the nation’s ability to rise above challenges.
Ambassador Storella adds that it is a momentous time in Zambian history, with last year’s historic, democratic presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections and now a first ever Africa Cup of Nations triumph.
He further notes that Zambia’s enthusiasm knows no bounds
Below is the List of the fallen heros from teamkickoff forum
MCS continues, kalu for third term.
Hate to spoil the party but the only connection between what Katongo and Company have achieved to the former team is drawing motivation and courage… I really don’t know what happens to the dead but I hate reducing the hard work put in by these boys to the black spirits. Without their hard work and dedication these guys would have been toast; and without the Gift of ‘cry-baby’ overated Didier Drogba with a his big ego, we probably would have lost the game.
By the way did anyone notice how Coach RH lost his cool and threw tantrums by hitting defender Nkausu… can some explain what was that? Whether that’s how he enforces discipline in his players, I thought he was over the top in his reaction. To be honest he really hated him that very moment.
do you even watch football?dont you knw how successful managers like ferguson who shouts at his players even kicked a oot that hit beckham on the eye,mourinho also instils discipline at his players sometimes coaches shout..anyway its like you dont know wat u are talking at PUNK SON OF THE BI.TCH.
No need to get nasty BA NSIMBI. lets educate Jigga polity. Jigga, the “tantrums” thrown by RH are part of the reason why the team had a close bond with the coach. Did you you see the why Nkausu reacted? You could see from his reaction that he had understood the task that the coach demanded of him. if there was no bond between plays and RH then they would have walked off.
From your writings “describing the dead as black spirit” which simply put would meand “devils” – the black spirits you described above can only be so if one died outside God’s grace ie in sin- but those who died in God’s presence/mercy are never black spirits – infact they are Angels, much alive and with us helping and guiding us on our salvation journey. Those who died in Jesus are not dead but alive in God/Jesus – it is this Spirit that as zambian people we feel so much present with us – and is our believe and wish that all those players who perished Gabon died so in God’s presence and mercy and never shall we call them black spirits.
Jigga I too was initially taken aback when I saw RH hitting Nkausu, but when I saw Nkausu’s reaction I concluded that all was fine and that he did not take offence. I got the impression that RH had a very close bond with his charges and that him being physical with them should not be taken as abuse but what could be expected among people who are close and free with each other.
Ba Nsimbi… of course I watch football, aka soccer. I have watched football all my life and I have seen the worst and the best in my life. That doesn’t mean that a coach abusing a player is a good thing.
Just because you have seen Mourinho, the ‘Special One’ abusing his players (and by the way he doesn’t) then its a good thing. Or Sir Ferguson hitting Beckham then you think the Zambian coach has every right to do it. Nah man, far from it. In fact Beck and Alex fell out because of that incident that spilled out to the media into public… end result, Beckhamd left Man U.
‘Bond’ or not the coach should hit or humiliate his players in public like that, or even in private. These guys are professionals who are adults. I’m close to my boss but he would never touch or yell at me.
It sometimes sounds a bit cliché when we refer to this team as our fallen heroes. We tend to forget how talented these guys were and SomeOfUs may not have seen them grace the field of play with their skills. But, when you read the names listed above it really hits you to say “Yes. We really lost a group of probably the best collection of Zambian players ever to be assembled”. I can’t help but read the names in a Dennis-Liwewe voice because that’s how I remember first hearing them names on radio.
Well said President Sata. It truly is prudent to pay tribute to the fallen heroes as they were the pioneers of the present success by the current national team. MTSRIP
I wish the new government could extend charity to the heroes’ families, I remember my classmate, the young brother of Derby Mankinka. We really miss our heroes, this time we would have played even world cup semi. God have mercy on our heroes. Ba Sata help there families.
Sata is busy firing and campaigning.
Ba Lusaka Times the FAZ Chairman was Michael Mwape not Chiti
I THINK THE FAMILIES OF THE DEAD PLAYERS ARE NOT INERESTED IN CHEAP PUBLICITY. WHAT THE PRESIDENT SHOULD DO TO THOSE FAMILIEIS IS
1. RELEASE THE DISASTER REPORT (AND COMPESATE THE FAMILIES FOR IRRESPONSIBILITY ON THE PART OF GOVERNMENT, (WHICH LUCKILY SATA WAS PART OF SO NO PASSING THE BUCK) FOR GIVING OUR PLAYERS A FAULTY PLANE 2. IF THE PRESIDENT FEELS THOSE PLAYERS STARTED SOMETHING WHICH THE CURRENT ONES HAVE FINISHED, ALSO GIVE THE FAMILIES A SEPARATE AWARD – APART FROM THE COMPASATAION EG $5,000 EACH. PLIZ THE FAMILIES WONT EAT GOOT WORDS FROM THE PRESIDENT.
Wow! Reading those names…. man that was a tragedy indeed!
Can the government now please release the long overdue Gabon Report?
I thought he was called ‘Efford’ Chabala, wasn’t he? I was in Grade 9 when this tragedy happened and memories are still fresh going through the list of names.
Can someone please upload some of the Dennis Liwewe radio commentaries to some of the epic Zambian games from this generation for me to listen… that would be really cool.
For some reason I have always thought that Ashes Melu also died with this team, I guess I was wrong, huh! May Their Soul Rest In Eternal Peace!
His names were Efford David Chabala. Kalu liked calling him David. Efford & Kalu were always room-mates in camp.
How superstitious,the real heroes are the ones that have won the cup,its nonsense to attribute their hard work to some dead people 19 years after,where were they when we have been losing all long? Instead of honouring the real Champs,you rush to a grave to praise dead people,Africans! it beats me.
The team themselves said they were motivated by the tragedy. Can you not understand. The venue of teh final was just a short distance from where those guys died. It would have been a different story if they played in malawi or South Africa.
that’s teh difference my dear one. Calm down.
MCS, what about ka resting?
Now ba kalu can rest
Haters pa Zed…I bet some are angry Zambia won.
The buffalo plane was painted jungle green!That plane does not look like a buffalo plane!
This picture does not look like AF319
@Mimbulu I was about to say the same, the buffalo plane was camouflage not white. Ba LT ubufi mulenashako. Nice to see the govt paying tribute to the fallen heroes. Hope they are still supporting their families somehow.
What are we going to say if they defend the cup in 2013? spirits or hard work
Alex Chola was not a winger.. Get the facts right. He was a middle-fielder. We called him computer…Because of his skills. He reminds me of Charles Musonda and Kalaba.
Ugly Truth, I think you are not a Zambian to begin with, you are an ***** with barbaric thinking, you might 13yrs playing with your dad’s laptop,
Spot on Greatboy. From Mufulira Blackpool he joined Power Dynamoes. At Power his partnership with Peter Kaumba and Luck Msisika was so deadly
This story is ‘fake’ like the Kwacha printed by MMD. Wrong names, wrong pictures and probably Sata did not say what has been reported!
Mmmmm @ 15Ba Zambia, You are right, that does not look to be a Military. BA LT Please Where did you get that picture?? Mwila Tubepa chibiii sana..
We want ACTION not words. What has been done for the families of the late players? When is the long overdue report on the plane crash going to be released? You, Mr Sata, were in the MMD govt then and never did anything about these issues. Stop yapping and get down to work. Zambians are fed up of politicking all the time.
#6 thank u. It was Michael Mwape who was FAZ chairman. He owned a BP filling station in Chilanga and had a two-storey house west of Kafue rd (opp Freedom compound). Very humble man…
BA Kateka atishani ka Holyday? We need time to shake hands with the national team players before they go bak to their bases. Govt should also pay something to surviving spouses and relatives of the 1993 Gabon air crash, The national team drew a lot of inspiration from the departed souls and the souls rose and playd their part, please remember them each time there is a memorial.
Was not the goal keep Efford Chabala?
People are missing the point. If the game was not played in Gabon, the 1993 disaster would not have been a motivation factor. So this time, it is right to recognise the motivation the team got from the disaster, having played so near to the place where the plane crashed.
where is the report?
CHEAP SATA. He has no shame in remembering heroes after the cup has been won. That is why Mamadou the soccer commentetor on super sports laughs at Zambians. They only think of the fallen soccer heroes when there is a tornament. The burial grounds are overgrown with grass yet this cheap president wants to take political mirage in such a cheap way. If I was his adviser, I would ask him to do it at the next anniversally
useless fool you are. aint you?
okay zambians, here is the “gabon report”
the national team of zambia, whilst on a stopover in gabon’s capital, libreville, for two hours were about to board their military plane when security forces in gabon stop them and advised them not to until they receive clearance from french forces whose camp was on an island off the shores of gabon. the reason for the delay and advice was simple, “zambian players were using a military plane and were scheduled to pass through a french military base, a hostile one for that matter, and our gabon brothers wanted to ensure a safe passage for our team.” out of frustration, coupled by impantience, the captain of our jumbo jet ignored that vital advice and procceeded.
the old woman in her fields, who was the only witness, and saw how the jumbo jet was shot down by the french forces was also murdered in unexplained circumstances. up to now, the french, who are responsible for the death of our galant players, have yet to own up and compensate the families of the fallen heroes. the world over know this and its not a secret. i know our able president will now make this report public. i will be back!!!
where is gabon report? can we close the air disaster by seeing the report so that we celebrate without any questions about the crash.
No. 28 be serious muletsha!!!! Ba President can say anything about fallen heroes coz he is catholic and people should respect that. Infact alot of people belive that. As far as am concerned he has the right to what he has said
Rest in peace Uncle Mike. Kasuba came to Gabon to watch the match. I remembered how excited you were about Zambia participating in the world cup and I was really afraid. But she flew to Gabon safely and returned safely. Only God knows why you had to die the way you did. The family misses you greatly. We are glad that Zambia won the Africa cup but wish you were here . . . Others are rejoicing but tears constantly fill our eyes.
Thank you for some other wonderful post. Where else may anybody get that kind of information in such an ideal means of writing? I have a presentation next week, and I’m on the search for such info.
I still remember the fallen heroes. Actually its hard to believe its almost 20 years now. The legacy lives on:
Efford ” Ichipembya” Chabala.
John “Panduka” Soko
Whiteson ” Brigo” Changwe
Samuel “Bigsam” Chomba
Estone”Yellowman”Mulenga
Derby “Makinka” Mankinka
Moses Chikwalakwala
Wisdom”Summer bee” Chansa
Kelvin “mALAZA” Mutale
Number “Pishapo yaya” Mwila
Patrick”Bomber” Banda
Richard “Rich Combs” Mwanza
Kennan ” Mbintu bichinga” Simambe
Timothy “Teacher, Zico, Mpompompo” Mwitwa
Godfery “Dunga” Kangwa
Wynter Mumba
Alex ” Computer” Chola
Godfrey ” Ucar” Chitalu.