Football has experienced a rather ugly week. The resignation of a highly-paid coach over the bizarre defence of a probable racist. The lack of contrition shown by one player over his racial abuse of another professional. Tax scams. Homophobia. Two-footed tackles. Stoke City. But all of this pales into insignificance when tonight's achievement by the Zambia football team is taken into account.
In 1993, when taking off from Libreville, Gabon, a plane carrying the Zambian side exploded killing every passenger on board. An entire generation of footballing talent was wiped out. This year's African Cup of Nations tournament was the team's first return to Gabon since the tragedy, and against all the odds, they made it to the final. In the same city where their predecessors lost their lives, Zambia set out to lay some very real ghosts to rest.
The sole survivor of the '93 generation, Kalusha Bwalya, is now the president of the Zambia football association. Talk prior to the game spoke of the Zambians having two teams on the pitch in tonight's final, to be played against red hot favourites the Ivory Coast. After a 0-0 draw over 120 minutes, a penalty shootout was begun, and the Zambian players knelt on the pitch to sing prayers and chants for the dead.
At times, it was hard to believe these prayers were not going unanswered. After 14 straight penalties were scored, Kolo Toure saw his kick saved by Zambian keeper Kennedy Mweene, a player who had scored his own penalty before shaking the hand of his compatriot. Rainford Kalaba, with the weight of a nation's impossible dreams on his shoulders, skied the penalty that would have won the game.
But still the twists came. With the penalty spot now resembling a collapsed sand castle, Gervinho skewed his kick metres wide of post and bar. The chance was then presented to Stoppila Sunzu to take the game. Visibly chanting his dreams into the sky, he ran up to make history. The net bulged.
The collection of players who are now wildly parading the trophy around Libreville would struggle to gain a place at almost any side in England's top two divisions. But the display given by each one of them has outmatched everything we have come to expect from our heroes of the domestic and international game. The Chipolopolo (copper bullets) may have had a Hollywood-esque incentive to do well at this tournament, but that belies a tactical system and squad that has been steadfastly in place for over four years. And nobody can help but be inspired by a group or individual that goes about their work with sheer, unequivocal, love.
There remains a lot to dislike about football, but for as long as teams like Zambia continue to keep the spirits of the game alive, even the ugliest footballing weeks will see a delightful dawn.
No comments:
Post a Comment