Kalu: tomorrow’s game not about revenge
Zambia legend Kalusha Bwalya says Monday’s quarter-final clash with Nigeria brings back “fond memories” of their 1994 Nations Cup final.
Having risen from the ashes of one of Africa’s worst sporting disasters, Zambia succumbed 2-1 after 90 emotion-laden minutes in Tunis.
“Even though we lost that game, I have fond memories because we had just come out of the Gabon tragedy,” Bwalya told BBC Sport in Lubango.
The final took place less than a year after a plane carrying the Zambian team to a World Cup qualifier in Senegal crashed into the sea off the coast Gabon.
Thirty lives were lost, including 18 players, in one of Africa’s worst sporting disasters.
But Bwalya escaped the tragedy as he was due to fly to Dakar direct from his base in the Netherlands.
“After losing the entire team, we started to rebuild and getting to the final was a great achievement,” said Bwalya, now president of the Football Association of Zambia.
“I still remember that match like it happened yesterday because of the circumstances surrounding it, and we also played against a very good Nigerian side.
“We played some of the best football in Zambia’s history in the second half of the match.”
Sixteen years ago, the Zambians were driven by a continental wave of public emotion and sympathy.
This time, though, circumstances are different and there are no striking similarities between the two matches.
“The only thing in common between the 1994 match and Monday’s game is myself and Daniel Amokachi (Nigeria’s current assistant coach), one of their stars then.
Bwalya said any talk of Zambia going into the match with revenge on their minds is not coming from him.
“If I was playing on Monday, I’d talk about revenge but these players were either toddlers or in nappies when we played in the 1994 final.
“I don’t want to put them under pressure by talking about revenge – this match has nothing to do with 1994.”
Courtesy of BBC
Loading ...
Ba Kalusha,Please stay away from the Zambian football.You have lost touch with reality on the Zambian football
get out kalusha laa…we shall wallop nigeria…
kalusha has no shame!!!
we are in the finals with Cameroon. no doubt about it.
Why doesnt he stay away from the boys..he might not know how we feel about the game today because he is not a zambian he had ater all predicted Nigeria would lift the trophy and that they just need to work on one or two things….please please keep away go to supersport and be a dull analyst of the games..and keep saying fantastic fantastic…
Have always believed in the chipolopolo boys and am happy that football glory of the 80s and early 90s is emerging again. Well done boys and keep it up.
Thank GOD, you are not in the team. Please keep a distance from Renard on that bench the same you have have had from FAZ. I mean stay in South Africa.
We are completely behind the boys. confident this year’s africa cup final will be a surprise. We are in the finals with Egypt. Go Zambia Go!!!
amen x 3 to that. we need not say more
AFCON final 2010: cameron 0 ZAMBIA 1
Whatever you call it is not important. We are the 2010 AFCON champions. Nigeria will give way to little Zambia. We progress to the semifinals tomorrow.