ZAMBIA FINALLY REJOINS THE LEAGUE OF BIG BOYS
Zambia’s KK 11
By Nchimunya Ng’andu Bobby – Your Girl Friend’s Favourite Journalist
QUALIFYING to the Africa Cup of Nations had become a birthright for Zambia. But in the last eight years, the story became different as Zambia failed to make appearances at three consecutive AFCON tournaments.
As the saying goes “success has many fathers, failure is an orphan” so was the case with the Chipolopolo Boys during the last three failed attempts to book a spot at an AFCON tournament.
The heat would always go to the man at the helm of Zambian football Andrew Kamanga whose administration was yet to see Zambia compete at the AFCON. ‘KAMANGA MUST GO’ placards were ever present during football matches that featured the senior team.
While the Kamanga administration has scored in most if not all age group national teams, from winning the U20 AFCON on home soil in 2017 to winning several COSAFA trophies in both men and women’s football, failure to book an AFCON berth always haunted the powers that be.
Girl’s football has without a doubt seen immense improvement. Playing at the Olympics to finishing third at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations which meant winning a spot at this year’s Women’s FIFA World Cup.
Highs and lows that left many a soccer fan with mixed emotions.
Zambia’s Chipolopolo Boys have qualified to the AFCON tournament, the first time in eight years. Yes you heard me right, for the first time in close to a decade.
The last time the country did that, Zambia’s founding father Dr. Kenneth David Buchizya Kaunda was 91. He would go on to live to the age of 97, three years short of his target of living a 100 years.
As history has a tendency of repeating itself, the next time such a feat is secured was on Saturday 17th June, 2023, KK’s or KDBK’s second anniversary since becoming an ancestor on Thursday, 17th June, 2021.
Kalusha Bwalya with Christopher Katongo and Herve Renard arrive with Afcon 2012 trophy
Majority of the current senior national team players were either playing for age group national teams or worse off, had never donned the Zambian jersey.
Eight years later, Zambians are united, united as one just as was the case 11 years ago when the Southern African country defied all odds to be crowned champions of Africa.
Zambia’s former First Republican President Dr. Kenneth David Buchizya Kaunda. – Picture by DERRICK SINJELA
The Levy Mwanawasa stadium was full to capacity, tickets ran out almost a week before match day. This only goes to show how Zambians wanted to be witness of the team’s qualification to the AFCON.
With an impressive 3-0 victory over the Elephants of Ivory Coast, Zambia will be among the 24 countries in Ivory Coast competing for Africa’s most prized football trophy.
From KAMANGA MUST GO TO KAMANGA OYEEEEEE.
Indeed “success has many fathers while failure is an orphan.”
Let us all celebrate this victory, a victory of the ages.
CONGRATULATIONS CHIPOLOPOLO! Rainbow Television Zambia LimitedRainbow Newspaper Zambia Limited Rainbow Newspaper LimitedRainbow ZambiaKwilanzi New ZambiaZambian Children Young People and Women in Development (ZCYPWD)Zambian Developmental Media Alliance (ZADEMA)Zambian Developmental Media Alliance (ZADEMA) Zambian CypwdBranding Zambia 2014
Nchimunya Ng’andu Bobby – Your Girl Friend’s Favourite Journalist
Nchimunya Ng’andu Bobby – Your Girl Friend’s Favourite Journalist
FAZ President Andrew Kamanga (Left) with Nchimunya Ng’andu Bobby – Your Girl Friend’s Favourite Journalist
