Victorious Zambian team return home to a hero's welcome

Lusaka:With an escort of jet fighters screaming above and tens of thousands of screaming fans on the ground, Zambia's victorious football team flew home to a hero's welcome.

The Copper Bullets, or Chipolopolo as the national team is called, descended from the plane to meet ecstatic fans and show the African Cup of Nations trophy that has eluded the southern African nation for more than 30 years.

"Go Zambia, go!" the crowd roared.

The players were driven off on the backs of army trucks, on roads packed with cheering Zambians, to the showgrounds where speeches and a concert were planned.

Zambia beat favourites Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a nerve-racking upset in the Sunday final at the Africa Cup of Nations in Libreville, Gabon.

Zambia were the underrated underdogs at the African tournament, much like their country, which boasts a thriving democracy, a less-travelled destination for African wildlife and the spectacular Victoria Falls — along with a booming copper industry that recently catapulted the country to the status of lower middle-income.

First off the plane on Monday was Vice-President Guy Scott, believed to be the highest-ranking white man in Africa and a sign that Zambia has put behind its colonial past.

Last off was team captain Christopher Katongo, standing between Zambian football association president Kalusha Bwalya and the team's French coach Herve Renard.

It was a bittersweet victory. Last week after arriving for the finals, the Zambian players laid wreaths on a stretch of Libreville beach not far from where a Zambian military plane crashed into the ocean soon after takeoff in 1993, killing 25 players and officials on board. "By winning the cup we have helped ease the pain of the Zambian people," Katongo declared on his arrival home.

Striker Emmanuel Mayuka said: "I just wanted to finish what they failed to finish," referring to the team that perished. Bwalya is the only surviving member of that team, escaping the crash because he was flying from Europe.

Honour

"The pain of that crash still lingers and we must all remember that those players perished while trying to achieve victory and honour for our beloved country," former President Rupiah Banda declared before he departed with a government delegation.

The players had vowed to win the 2012 championship to appease the souls of a lost generation of football stars.

Back in 1993, state broadcasters interrupted normal programming to announce the crash in the eight languages spoken in Zambia. In Lusaka, the capital, men and women wept in offices and on the streets.

This week, there were only cheers. Zambians poured out of their houses, clubs and bars to celebrate in the streets defying Police Minister Kennedy Sakeni, who said there would be no reason for people to leave their homes to celebrate.

"It is a dream come true," said David Phiri, a plumber. Jubilant Zambians also honked the horns of cars draped in their flag, shouted from windows and sang football songs.