Zambia striker Emmanuel Mayuka has said it is an honor for him to have made the pilgrimage to Beach Sabliere in Libreville on Thursday.
The 22 year old striker said after visiting the shores of the beach, where the bodies of the 30 victims died in the 1993 air crash, that he was inspired to work even harder on Sunday to lift Zambia’s first Africa cup.
“For me it was an honor to be there even though I was very young when it happened,” Mayuka said.
“I hope to finish what they started but did not finish.”
And Mayuka said he hoped to keep his dreams to finish as top scorer this Sunday at Stade d’Angondje and help Zambia lift their first Africa Cup title.
“I believe it is every strikers dream to be top scorer but we will see how it goes,” the striker from Young Boys in Switzerland said.
Mayuka is currently one of three players vying for the 2012 golden boot together with Zambia captain Christopher Katongo and Cote d’Ivoire striker Didier Drogba on three goals each.
Meanwhile, Zambia visited Beach Sabliere just hours after landing at midday from Equatorial Guinea where they had just beaten Ghana 1-0 24 hours early in Bata.
The team went down to the Beach Sabliere located in an affluent suburb of Libreville at 17:00 hours Gabon team under heavy police escort led by Kalusha Bwalya who was accompanied by his wife, CAF and FAZ life member Tom Mtine and sports minister Chishimba Kambwili.
The entourage sung solemn hymns, laid wreaths before Captain Christopher Katongo closed the ceremony with a prayer in the backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean.
who is kalu’s wife?
Emy Bwalya. She’s of Italian Descent.
I thought he had a dutch wife after maureen nkandu issue?
Me I don,t know!
Chipolopolo all the way!!!
You were not very young kid when this happened. You were a baby, and being a boy you probably couldn’t even talk then , but just making baby sounds. That is how far we have come and that is the gravity of the mission. Mission impossible. Should you wish to accept, the glory is all your to enjoy.
#1 yes, who is kalu’s wife?
Mr. Bwalya :)
Whether the boys wins or lose, they have done it for so many of us.God bless Zambia, God bless those who have sacrificed their lives for our pride.
What has that to do with the tragedy news being desiminated here?
fi Dobo!! uleke ifyamba iwe!!! Learn some geography & zambian Football history before yapping!!
This is emotional for many Zambians. I could feels tears coming into my eyes as I watched this video and saw Kalusha. Some of us wereolder and remember the whole thing as if it was yesterday. Hence our only wish to win the cup and let our brothers rest for ever in peace. Godfrey “Ucar” Chitalu was building a house in Kabwe at the time it happened. I went there and saw the unfinished work. I hope that the govt has finished it on behalf of many Zambians and that the families are consoled and living well. Cant wait for sunday to watch the match.
Good posting.. I am behind you. 48yrs old. I learnt this event with sadness after the news of the disaster (April 1993) they played a 1min viedo showing the team in action. they were considered the best in Africa, goalkeeper Efford Chabala’s ability to save penalty (creditional)
we are with you Mayuka!! go and score more goals!! ba Kaunda babwela kwamene uko ku Gabon.you are not alone but with the spirits of the fallen heroes, ba KK, all the supporters who went to watch AFCON, those in Zambia, the media, us in the diaspora and all those behind the Chipolopolo. uno mwaka wesu. ichikombe chileisa and ba tata ba KK bakachimya pa KK international airport.Go Zambia goallllllll
Abena zambia mulansekesha. Elo mulangumfwisha feeling. Out of everythng said umuntu ayatolapofye ilyashi lyakwa kalu’s wife. Very funny!
All the best to our boys. U ve made us proud oredy. Mayuka jst kip being desciplind n u ll go a long way. Nt ifibwalwa iyooo! One love.
Amen & Amen to your prayers!
Only Mbesuma in this team was old enough to remember everything.He was a teen already by then..
#1 – I just answered your question
We shall meet in heaven guys. Rest with Jesus, resurection is coming.
kalu’s wife is south african.She is Emy Casaletti.she is a FiFa marketing consultant and instructor with more than 20 years in marketing.she is a charted marketer and worked with reebok,vodacom,kappa,kaizer chiefs,cocacola and more.she was also a member of the 2010 world cup organising team.mwaumfwa?
she is italian!! They live in RSA!!
Zambians b4 thy game let’s touch thy screen & pray ivory goalkeeper has been fasting & has not considered a go guys let’s pray had 4our players God with us
In 1993, when our soccer team perished on the shores of Gabon, I was in the US. Even Americans who have limited appreciation of soccer expressed their condolences to me. They had followed the tragic event on CNN and other US TV channels and sympathized with us. I cried all alone in that small university town because I was the only Zambian in the area. I am hoping and praying that we win so that we can properly mourn our dear departed heroes.
I remember that day like it was yesterday. Tears are running down my face as I write this. What an ugly day that was. May God save all who read this from such a day. I was in an underground mine at Nkana Shaft. I was there as a student intern for ZCCM. News came quickly of plane crash. My spirit was crashed in a major way for the first time in my 19 years. I know Ivory Coast is a very strong team, but I have hope that something special can happen on Sunday. Lets go Zambia.
We can only say, “thankyou Lord Jesus for the grace to be crowned African champions 4 the first time in history. Now our departed heroes can rest in peace and we can finally have closure on the Gabon disaster. People of Zambia and southern Africa as a whole, plz let us join hands in prayer so that we can celebrate this victory in style. after all, it’s our time 2 shine and we are shinning, by the power of the Holy Spirit and in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen and amen.. Go Zambia Go…..
amen, go zambia go……wow…this clip rolls tears indeed,GOD BLESS ZAMBIA!!!
Very moving momment at the beach. The wood may be dry but it is still heavy. The only way to ease the pain we still feel when we reminisce the tragedy is to be crowned of Africa’s number one soccer team.
Emmanuel “God is with us” is your name, Mayuka. With God by our side, this mission is possible!
i think we need nothing less than the cup from the boyz – so far their z nothing speicial the team hav done coz we hav been in the finals twice – so only a win is acceptable for zambia on sunday
AT 17:HOURS GABON TEAM UNDER HEAVY POLICE ESCORT LED BY KALUSHA BWALYA… NO MUCH SENSE
guyz nelo mwa ikale ku fyalo, ta mwaleka inseke sha fyanmba???
Luck be with you
ba Zambia nalelo twa wina! Tiye tiye If God is on our side who can be against us! Lets teach those Ivorians that nothing is going to stop a bullet fired from an AK47!
Emotional indeed.I was in Kabwe by then and there was not a big time difference btn that event and the Petrol tanker phenominon which lead me to seeing people ablaze running aimlessly till death.
# 04 you should stop being Jealous, boy has done a lot of good to Zambia,what have you done for zambia yourself.
Easterners at it again, statistics at KATETE st Francis hospital in eastern province of zambia have recorded an amazing male born babies with pre-named or Given names during 2012 AFCON CUP as follows
1. Mweene Phiri2.Stopilla Mbewe3. Joseph Musonda  Lungu4.Himoonde Nyirenda5. Sunzu Soko (S S)6. Kalaba Ndlovu7. Chamanga Nyirenda8. Isaac Chansa  Tembo9. Mbesuma Nyirongo10. Mayuka Mkandawire11. Katongo Tembo
Last but not the listHerve Renard Daka
The only way we can honor our players (heroes) is by winning and bring the cup here. Go go Zambia. Zambia two – Ivory – 0
Number 28 mwandepula imbafu!