1993 Zambia national football team air disaster: Difference between revisions

The flight had been specially arranged by the Zambian Air Force for the football team. The journey was scheduled to make three refuelling stops; the first at Brazzaville, Congo, the second at[Libreville, Gabon, and the third at Abidjan, Ivory Coast.<ref name="asn1">{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19930427-2|title=ASN Aircraft accident de Havilland Canada DHC-5D Buffalo AF-319 Atlantic Ocean, off Gabon|work=Aviation Safety Network|publisher=Flight Safety Foundation|accessdate=19 December 2010}}</ref>

At the first stop in Brazzaville engine problems were noted. Despite this, the flight continued and a few minutes after taking off from the second stop in Libreville the left engine caught fire and failed. The pilot, who had also flown the team from a match in Mauritius the previous day, then shut down the right engine, causing the plane to lose all power during the climb out of Libreville Airport and fall into the water {{convert|500|m|yd|abbr=on}} offshore. A Gabonese report released in 2003 attributed the pilot's actions to a faulty warning light and fatigue on the part of the pilot.<ref name="asn1" /><ref name="bbc3">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3247006.stm|title='Faulty plane' killed Zambia team|date=28 November 2003|work=BBC News|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=17 December 2010}}</ref><ref name="sportsillustrated1">{{cite news|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1138563/1/index.htm|title=Triumph On Sacred Ground|last=Montville|first=Leigh|date=18 October 1993|work=Sports Illustrated|publisher=Time Inc.|accessdate=17 December 2010}}</ref>

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.<ref name="sportsillustrated1" />

The resurrected team defied the odds, and displaying an offensive playing style, reaching the final against [[Nigeria national football team|Nigeria]]. They took the lead in the first half, but the ''Super Eagles'' quickly equalised and followed up with the winner in the second half. In spite of the loss, the Zambian side returned home as national heroes.<ref name="bbc5">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/8477655.stm|title=Zambia's Kalusha Bwalya relives 1994 Nations Cup final|last=Mungazi|first=Farayi|date=24 January 2010|work=BBC Sport Online|publisher=British Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=22 December 2010}}</ref>

In 2012, Zambia won the Africa Cup of Nations in Libreville, only a few hundred metres inland from the crash site; the victory was dedicated to the ones who lost their lives in the tragedy. Zambia beat Côte d'Ivoire 8–7 in a penalty shoot out after the game ended 0–0 after normal and added time.

* Colonel [[Fenton Mhone]] (pilot)

* Lt Colonel [[Victor Mubanga]] (pilot)

* Lt Colonel [[James Sachika]] (pilot)

* Major [[Edward Nhamboteh]] (Flight Engineer)

* Corporal [[Tomson Sakala]] (steward)

* [[Wilson Mtonga]] (doctor)

* [[Wilson Sakala]]

* [[Michael Mwape]] ([[Football Association of Zambia|FAZ]] Chairman)

* [[Nelson Zimba]] (public servant)

* [[Joseph Bwalya Salim]] (journalist)