Zambia national football team

Zambia
Nickname(s)	Chipolopolo; (The Copper Bullets)
Association	Football Association of Zambia
Confederation	CAF (Africa)
Head coach	Hervé Renard
Asst coach	Patrice Beaumelle
Most caps	Kalusha Bwalya
Top scorer	Godfrey Chitalu
Home stadium	Independence Stadium (30,000)
FIFA ranking	77
Highest FIFA ranking	15 (February 1996)
Lowest FIFA ranking	92 (February 2009)
Elo ranking	70
Highest Elo ranking	28 (April 1994)
Lowest Elo ranking	99 (May 2004)
Home colours	Away colours
First international
	Southern Rhodesia 0 - 4 Northern Rhodesia ; (Southern Rhodesia; 1946)
Biggest win
	Zambia 10 - 0 Djibouti ; Zambia; 3 September 2006)
Biggest defeat
	Congo DR 10 - 1 Zambia ; (Congo-Kinshasa; 22 November 1969); Belgium 9 - 0 Zambia ; (Brussels, Belgium; 3 June 1994)
African Nations Cup
Appearances	13 (First in 1974)
Best result	Runners-up, 1974 and 1994

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The Zambia national football team represents the country of Zambia and is governed by the Football Association of Zambia. Before independence in 1964 they were known as the Northern Rhodesia national football team. The side is nicknamed Chipolopolo (the Copper Bullets) as copper is one of the south central African nation's main exports. The team has two African Nations Cup final appearances to its credit and among its most memorable moments is a 4-0 victory over Italy in the 1988 Olympic football tournament in Seoul, South Korea that saw Kalusha Bwalya score a hat-trick.

[edit] Gabon air disaster

A tragedy befell the Zambian national football team when the military plane (Zambian Air Force Buffalo DHC-5D, reg: AF-319) carrying the team to Senegal for a 1994 World Cup qualification match crashed in the late evening of 27 April 1993. The journey required two refuelling stops and at the first stop in Congo engine problems were noted. Despite this, the flight continued and a few minutes after taking off from a second stop in Libreville, Gabon one of the engines caught fire and failed. The pilot, who was tired from already having flown back from Mauritius earlier that day, then shut down the wrong engine, causing the plane to lose all power during the climb out of Libreville Airport and fall into the water 500m offshore.

All 30 passengers and crew, including 18 players, as well as the national team coach and support staff, were lost in the accident. The Chipolopolo's captain and later national team coach, Kalusha Bwalya, was not aboard the ill-fated flight as he was in the Netherlands playing for PSV at that time and had made separate arrangements to make his own way to Senegal to take part in the qualifier match.

[edit] Aftermath of the tragedy

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.

The resurrected team's final World Cup qualifier pitted them against Morocco in Casablanca in a match requiring the Chipolopolo to come away with at least a tie in order to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Their qualification run ended with a 1-0 defeat after a controversial call by the referee in the closing moments of the game that denied Zambia a penalty shot that could have led to the crucial draw.

At the 1994 African Nations Cup, the new Chipolopolo squad defied the odds, and displaying an offensive playing style, they reached the final against Nigeria. They took the lead in the first half, but the Super Eagles quickly equalized and followed up with the winner in the second half. In spite of the loss, the Zambian side returned home as national heroes.

[edit] List of players killed in the 1993 air disaster

A Zambian football fan at Lusaka's Independence Stadium

Old symbol for the Football Association of Zambia

Efford Chabala (goalkeeper)
John Soko (defender)
Whiteson Changwe (defender)
Robert Watiyakeni (defender)
Eston Mulenga (midfielder)
Derby Makinka (midfielder)
Moses Chikwalakwala (midfielder)
Wisdom Mumba Chansa (midfielder)
Kelvin "Malaza" Mutale (striker)
Timothy Mwitwa (striker)
Numba Mwila (midfielder)
Richard Mwanza (goalkeeper)
Samuel Chomba (defender)
Moses Masuwa (striker)
Kenan Simambe (defender)
Godfrey Kangwa (midfielder)
Winter Mumba (defender)
Patrick "Bomber" Banda (striker)

Also among the deceased were National Team managers Godfrey "Ucar" Chitalu and Alex Chola.

[edit] Honors

COSAFA Cup

Champions: 1997, 1998, 2006:: Runners-up: 2004, 2005, 2007

CECAFA Cup

Champions: 1984 ,1991, 2006

Runners-up: 1976, 1977, 1978, 1988, 2006

African Nations Cup

Runners-up: 1974, 1994

[edit] World Cup record

As the former British colony of Northern Rhodesia, Zambia did not participate in World Cup qualification play until after its independence in 1964. The country's football association was formed in 1929 and joined FIFA in 1964.

1930 to 1966 - Did not enter
1970 to 2006 - Did not qualify
2010 - Currently through to 3rd round in Group C with Algeria, Rwanda and Egypt

[edit] African Nations Cup record

1957 to 1968 - Did not enter
1970 - Did not qualify
1972 - Did not qualify
1974 - Second place
1976 - Did not qualify
1978 - Round 1
1980 - Did not qualify

1982 - Third place
1984 - Did not qualify
1986 - Round 1
1988 - Withdrew
1990 - Third place
1992 - Quarterfinals
1994 - Second place

1996 - Third place
1998 - Round 1
2000 - Round 1
2002 - Round 1
2004 - Did not qualify
2006 - Round 1
2008 - Round 1

[edit] Current squad

The following players were called for the friendly against Morocco in November 2008.

Head Coach

Hervé Renard

No.	Pos.	Player	DoB (Age)	Club
1	GK	Kalililo Kakonje	1 January 1985 (1985-01-01) (age 24)	AmaZulu
16	GK	Kennedy Mweene	11 December 1984 (1984-12-11) (age 24)	Free State Stars

4	DF	Joseph Musonda	30 May 1977 (1977-05-30) (age 32)	Golden Arrows
5	DF	Elijah Tana	28 February 1975 (1975-02-28) (age 34)	Nchanga Rangers
6	DF	Hichani Himoonde	15 June 1985 (1985-06-15) (age 24)	Zanaco FC
15	DF	Chintu Kampamba	28 December 1980 (1980-12-28) (age 28)	Free State Stars
19	DF	Davies Nkausu		Supersport United

8	MF	Isaac Chansa	23 March 1984 (1984-03-23) (age 25)	Helsingborgs IF
10	MF	Clifford Mulenga	5 August 1987 (1987-08-05) (age 21)	Bidvest Wits
13	MF	Noah Chivuta	25 December 1983 (1983-12-25) (age 25)	Supersport United
14	MF	Kebby Hachipuka		Green Eagles
20	MF	Felix Katongo	18 April 1984 (1984-04-18) (age 25)	Stade Rennes
17	MF	Rainford Kalaba	14 August 1986 (1986-08-14) (age 22)	Gil Vicente

9	FW	Collins Mbesuma	3 February 1984 (1984-02-03) (age 25)	Mamelodi Sundowns
12	FW	James Chamanga	2 February 1980 (1980-02-02) (age 29)	Dalian Haichang
	FW	Rodgers Kola	4 July 1989 (1989-07-04) (age 20)	Helsingborgs IF
	FW	Emmanuel Mayuka	21 November 1990 (1990-11-21) (age 18)	Maccabi Tel Aviv
	FW	Jacob Mulenga	12 February 1984 (1984-02-12) (age 25)	LB Châteauroux
10	MF	Christopher Katongo	31 August 1982 (1982-08-31) (age 26)	Arminia Bielefeld

[edit] Recent call-ups

No.	Pos.	Player	DoB (Age)	Caps	Goals	Club
	GK	Mike Poto	15 January 1981 (1981-01-15) (age 28)	1	0	Green Buffaloes
	GK	Rabson Mucheleng'anga				Power Dynamos
	DF	Kabwe Kamuzati	21 January 1984 (1984-01-21) (age 25)	2	0	Perlis FA
	DF	Nyambe Mulenga		10	0	ZESCO United
	DF	Laughter Chilembe	25 November 1975 (1975-11-25) (age 33)	34	1	CAPS United F.C.
	DF	Emmanuel Mbola	10 May 1993 (1993-05-10) (age 16)	9	0	Pyunik Yerevan
13	DF	Willy Chinyama	18 April 1984 (1984-04-18) (age 25)	13	0	ZESCO United
	DF	Kennedy Nketani	25 December 1984 (1984-12-25) (age 24)	29	0	Zanaco
	DF	Clive Sichondwe		3	0	Kabwe Warriors
	DF	Edwin Phiri		2	0	Ljungskile SK
	DF	Hilary Makasa	12 January 1976 (1976-01-12) (age 33)			Nchanga Rangers
	DF	Misheck Lungu	28 February 1980 (1980-02-28) (age 29)	37	1	Honvéd Budapest
	MF	Given Singuluma	26 September 1985 (1985-09-26) (age 23)			Bay United
	MF	Chanda Mwaba	2 October 1988 (1988-10-02) (age 20)			RoPS
12	MF	Kennedy Mudenda				Power Dynamos
	MF	Ian Bakala	1 November 1980 (1980-11-01) (age 28)			Primeiro de Agosto
	MF	Perry Mutapa	18 November 1979 (1979-11-18) (age 29)			FC AK
	MF	William Njovu	4 March 1987 (1987-03-04) (age 22)			Lusaka Dynamos F.C.
	FW	Dube Phiri	16 January 1983 (1983-01-16) (age 26)	17	4	Primeiro de Agosto
	FW	Linos Chalwe	17 September 1980 (1980-09-17) (age 28)			Bay United
	FW	Boyd Mwila	24 July 1984 (1984-07-24) (age 24)	6	0	Örgryte IS
	FW	Felix Sunzu	22 June 1989 (1989-06-22) (age 20)	3	0	Konkola Blades

[edit] Upcoming Fixtures and Results

[edit] Managers

Samuel 'Zoom' Ndolvu
Ian Porterfield (1993-1994)
Roald Poulsen (1994-1996)
George Mungwa (1996-1997)
Obby Kapita (1997)
Burkhard Ziese (1997-1998)
Ben Bumfuchile (1998-2001)
Jan Brouwer (2001)
Roald Poulsen (2002)
Kalusha Bwalya (2005-2006)
Patrick Phiri (2006-2008)
Hervé Renard (May 2008-present)

[edit] External links

Zambia FA official site
The Gabon air disaster accident report
- FAZ football leagues
Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) Cup of Nations 2008 official site
{http://www.zambianfootball.net/

[edit] See also

The Munich air disaster killed several members of English side Manchester United F.C. in 1958.
The 1989 crash of Surinam Airways Flight PY764 killed a group of Surinamese players known as "The Colorful 11", whose members played professional football in the Netherlands.
The Torino A.C. side known as Il Grande Torino that dominated post-war Italian football was lost in an air crash at Superga in 1949.
The 1987 crash that killed nearly the entire staff of Peruvian side Alianza Lima.