Ex-Zambian President travels to Gabon for Cup final

Zambia’s first President Kenneth Kaunda has joined a delegation that will travel Saturday to Gabon for the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in Libreville on Sunday.

Zambia Wednesday beat fancied Black Stars of Ghana 1-0 to qualify for the final.

“Our gallant boys need someone to motivate them and uplift their spirits even higher. Obviously, there can be no better person in Zambia today to perform this role other than our founding father, Dr Kenneth David Kaunda,'' said a statement issued Friday by President Michael’s Sata spokesperson George Chellah.

“It’s for this reason that, as a government, we find it appropriate and befitting that our beloved icon accompanies the Republican Vice-President [Guy Scott] and several Zambians to this historic occasion.”

This will be Zambia’s third appearance in the final after 1974 and 1994. On both occasions, they finished second best.

This could be an emotional outing for the Chipolopolo. In 1993, a plane carrying the Zambian national soccer team, also called the KK 11 boys, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean soon after take-off, off the coast of Libreville. All 30 on board died.

Meanwhile, President Sata said he was saddened by the death of eight soccer fans in the process of celebrating Zambia’s qualification to the final.

Several organisations, including banks, have pledged to buy air tickets for the fans to go and watch the Sunday match.