A Tragic Waste

by Satish Sekar © Satish Sekar (April 16^th 2009)

Disastrous

African football has suffered more than its fair share of tragedies. April 28^th will always be a difficult day for Zambians, as sixteen years ago on that day Zambian football awoke to the news that it had been dealt a crippling blow.

The Zambian team, bar one of Africa’s greatest players, Kalusha Bwalya,[1] Johnson Bwalya and Anderlecht’s Charles ‘Charlie Cool’ Musonda, were killed in a plane crash in Gabon, shortly after leaving Gabon’s capital, Libreville.

This was a disaster in every sense of the word. Zambia had qualified impressively for the 1994 African Cup of Nations. They looked like they would be a team to watch carefully in the future. They were on their way to Dakar to play against Sénégal in their bid to qualify for the World Cup finals in the USA. They had to start again – virtually from scratch.

The Golden Generation

Eighteen players lost their lives, including former Zambian Sports Personality of the Year, David Efford Chabala. He had been his country’s first choice goalkeeper for the last decade of his life and has a claim to be Zambia’s most-capped player – a claim also made by Bwalya and his manager Godfrey Chitalu.

Chabala’s heroics in an Olympic qualifier against Ghana in 1987 that required the exceptional talent of Tony Yeboah to beat him, resulted in Zambia reaching the Olympic Games in South Korea. Kalusha Bwalya would excel in Seoul, netting a hat-trick in the 4-0 drubbing of Italy.

Chabala distinguished himself in the finals of the African Cup of Nations in 1990 in a losing effort, but one that saw his prowess recognised as he was named in the Team of the Tournament.

The following tournament was not so successful. In December 1992, a poor performance against Madagascar in a 2-0 loss cost him his place in the starting line-up.

Fellow goal-keeper Richard Mwanza also died in the crash. Defenders Whiteson Changwe: Samuel Chomba: Winter Mumba, Kenam Simambe, John Somo and Robert Watiyakeni were killed, along with midfielders Wisdom Chansa: Moses Chikwalakwala, Godfrey Kangwa, Derby Makinka, Eston Mulenga and Numba Mwila and the forwards Patrick Banda: Moses Masuwa, Kelvin Mutale and Timothy Mwitma.

But Zambia’s loss was not confined to players. Journalists and coaching staff also died, as did the plane’s crew and pilot, whose error contributed to the disaster. There were no survivors. This was not just Zambia’s loss – Africa and football were deeply affected too

Three days before the disaster the gifted team played their last match – an African Cup of Nations qualifier against Mauritius, which they won 3-0, courtesy of a Mutale hat-trick. Despite private reservations about the state of the plane the team agreed to fly to Sénégal.

Zambia lost its first team with the exception of Bwalya, Anderlecht’s Charles ‘Charlie Cool’ Musonda, and Johnson Bwalya. Among those to die was Chitalu, Zambia’s greatest striker, and fledgling coach, and his assistant Alex Chola. They were just getting started but the results were good. They had a good chance of making history.

Records

Zambian record-keeping was believed not to have been all it could have been, which has caused controversy over the appearances record and also goal-scoring record. Chabala is believed to have made 120 appearances for his country. But Chitalu’s would prove more contentious later, as a football great, possibly the greatest of all time, Lionel Messi, closed in on Gerd Müller’s record for a year.

But it wasn’t the Bayern Münich legend’s record. That same year, 1972, Chitalu chased down the previous mark – his own of 81, set four years earlier. Müller broke that record, but his was no record as Chitalu had scored 107 – actually, he had scored more, but his own FA denied him nine as they were scored before Zambia’s season had started. Incredibly, the missing nine goals include an African record, and were scored in Africa’s most important club competition, the African Cup of Champions Clubs.

Lesotho’s champions held Kabwe Warriors 2-2 in the first leg on January 23^rd at the National Stadium – Chitalu scored both of the Zambian champions’ goals. A fortnight later the now destroyed Dag Hammerskjöld Stadium in Ndola witnessed a 9-0 drubbing. Chitalu scored seven in that match – it is still an African Club Champions’ tournament record.

The 9-0 score was beaten by Morocco’s Raja Casablanca, 10-1 against Chad’s Tourbillon in 2011. Seven years later fellow Moroccans, Difaâ el Jadida, 10-0 against Guinea-Bissau’s Bissau e Benfica. South Africa’s champions, Mamelodi Sundowns, set the new record in the 2019-20 tournament, 11-1 against the Seychelles’ Côte d’Or.

Kabwe Warriors’ record was equalled by Al-Ahly against South Sudan’s Atlabara (2019-20) and USM Alger against DR Congo’s AS Otôho (2018), but nobody has matched Chitalu’s African Champions’ tournament record of 7 in a match – 48 years and counting.

At the very least Chitalu scored 116 goals in 1972 – 119 if you include his hat-trick against City of Lusaka in a pre-season friendly. Similarly, Lionel Messi’s 91 in 2012 becomes 96 if friendlies are included, and if not, why play them?

There were also claims that Zambian great, Chitalu, played 147 times for his country and netted a century of international goals – he is credited with an African record tally of 79 verified goals in international football.

Chabala was just 33 and his career included a season in Argentinian football with Argentinos Juniors, the team that gave a fifteen-year-old Diego Maradona his début.

*****

Godfrey Chitalu was undoubtedly one of the greatest players Zambia ever produced. Although the quality of Zambian football teams was below par in his career, he holds an incredible record of having scored 107 accepted goals in the 1972 season for Kabwe Warriors after overcoming a petulant reputation at the beginning of his career in the late 1960s.

His correct tally for 1972 is at least 116 (more if his hat-trick in the 4-2 pre-season friendly against fellow top-flight Zambian club City of Lusaka are included). He earned awards, but his international career was chequered as he failed to win the favour of his coach despite his scoring prowess – he holds the African record for international football, 79.

Nevertheless, he was a prolific striker and made the most of his chances. One of his last appearances as a player was in the Moscow Olympics, where Zambia replaced Egypt due to the boycott. He scored in the 3-1 defeat to the Soviet Union. He retired soon afterwards and on May 25^th 1981 he was awarded the Insignia of Honour, one of his country’s highest national honours by then President Kenneth Kaunda. FIFA also recognised his phenomenal season of 1972 with an award just over a decade later.

He decided to take a break from football before emerging as the coach of his former club Kabwe Warriors and earning a life ban for punching a referee, which was later overturned on appeal. He was appointed an assistant to national team coach Samuel Ndlovu in 1987, succeeding him in 1992.

Chitalu remained loyal to his club, leading them both to the league title and back to the top league after relegation, thanks in part to his steadfast refusal to allow players to leave the club, despite being internationals.

Chitalu was building an exciting team that was tipped to go far. His record as national team coach was five wins and a draw, having scored fourteen goals and conceded just three. Chitalu’s precise scoring record for Zambia as a player is disputed due to inadequate record-keeping, but he is still referred to as the ‘goal-king.’

Chitalu was just 45 when he died. His assistant Alex Chola was also a talented attacking midfielder, who made a seamless transition to coaching, winning an award in testing circumstances when his top players were banned for refusing to defend the national cup.

The future of Zambian coaching was also lost in the Gabon disaster, along with the then President of the Zambian Football Association Michael Mwape, a post held by Bwalya.[2]

*****

This was a complete disaster for Zambian football and for Africa too; it was also shameful as it was an entirely preventable crash. The plane was not flight-worthy and Captain Fenton Mhone was very tired and really should not have had to fly again, especially such a long distance. The Zambian FA often had to cut costs to meet fixtures and this was no different. Instead of using Zambian airlines an air force Buffalo DHC-5D was used for the purpose. It was an old plane that had not flown between December 1992 and April 21^st 1993, so test flights were carried out on April 22^nd and 26^th. There were problems with the plane, but a decision was taken to fly it to Senegal via Libreville and Abidjan. This plane was not fit to fly.

Faults were noticed during the first refuelling stop in Congo-Brazzaville, but the ill-fated flight continued, making it to Libreville where further work was carried out on the plan, before it departed almost two hours late. It soon encountered problems when the faulty left engine burst into flames and the pilot switched off the wrong engine, which caused the plane to lose power and it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near the Gabonese coast, soon after refuelling at Libreville. There were no survivors Both the Gabonese Defence Ministry report into the crash and a Zambian one which took ten years to complete blamed the pilot in part of switching off the right engine and losing all power, but the fault in the left engine was the main cause.

The bodies were recovered and flown back in style for a state funeral in a full to capacity stadium in Lusaka. If only they had been provided with such transport in life this tragedy could have been averted. The government promised that the families of the victims would be properly taken care of by the state, which would pay for the education of their children. They were also promised answers about what happened on that terrible April night, but the full report has never been released. Other promises were cynically broken as well, including a promise to pay for and hold an annual commemoration for the victims and their families.

*****

Most of the squad played in Zambia; but Wisdom Chansa: Samuel Chomba and Robert Watiyakeni played in South Africa, while Kelvin Mutale and Moses Masuwa graced Saudi Arabian football and Morocco’s top league boasted the services of Godfrey Kangwa. lost generation of Zambian talent are remembered and revered to this day.

Kalusha Bwalya survived only because he was playing for PSV Eindhoven and had made separate arrangements to fly directly to Dakar from the Netherlands and Anderlecht’s Charles Musonda was injured. Zambian football regrouped quickly, determined to honour the fallen heroes of Zambian football.

Against all the odds Zambia not only went to the 1994 African Cup of Nations, but performed spectacularly well, reaching the final. Nigeria deprived the neutrals and Zambians of the desired result by defeating the plucky Zambians 2-1.

Zambia almost fulfilled their World Cup dream too. Requiring just a draw from their final match they were controversially denied a penalty and succumbed to a 1-0 defeat that sent Morocco to the World Cup.

Zambian football deserved better – a lot better – and so do the Zambian people. The promises made to the victims’ families should be honoured and the thirty who gave their lives trying to bring joy to a football-mad country should be remembered with pride as the government of the time, headed by Frederick Chiluba promised.

In 2002 Chiluba was succeeded by his former Vice President Levy Mwanawasa after trying to amend the constitution to allow him to stand for a third term. He was subsequently accused of widespread corruption and embezzlement. The Zambian government recently announced that it had recovered almost $60m that had been allegedly stolen during Chiluba’s presidency.

He denies the charges. Meanwhile, the thirty who lost their lives in Gabon and their families still await justice sixteen years later. It is the very least that they deserve.

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[1]    We were fortunate enough to secure a lengthy and exclusive interview with Bwalya, one of Africa’s greatest ever players. He also coached the national team in 2005-06, is an Ambassador for Africa’s World Cup and is currently President of the Zambian Football Association. We will be featuring this interview soon.

[2] Bwalya lost the Presidency of FAZ to Andrew Kamanga, who had been club President of Kabwe Warriors in 2012.