The Zambia national football team, known as Chipolopolo (the "Copper Bullets"), represents Zambia in association football. The team is managed by the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ).
Have you ever wondered about the name of the country Zambia? It is the second to last country in the alphabetical list of countries, before Zimbabwe. In 1964, the country’s first president, Kenneth Kaunda changed the name from Northern Rhodesia to Zambia. The capital of the country of Zambia is Lusaka.
Zambia is a landlocked country in southern Africa, with a tropical climate, consisting mostly of high plateaus with some hills and mountains, dissected by the great Zambezi river. Copper represents almost 70% of the country’s exports. It is the home of the Chipolopolos, rightfully named the copper bullets once led by the great Kalusha Bwalya. If you visit Zambia, do not forget to bask in the welcome of its inhabitants, try and find your way near the Zambezi River, visit the capital Lusaka, learn a few words in one of the local languages, and at least one find out why the country is so well-known for its copper.
During the 1980s, they were known as the KK 11, after founding president Dr. Kenneth Kaunda ("KK") who ruled Zambia from 1964 to 1991. After the country adopted multiparty politics, the side was nicknamed Chipolopolo which means the "Copper Bullets".
Kenneth Kaunda, the first president of Zambia, after whom the team was initially named "KK 11".
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Early Successes
The Chipolopolo were a very promising Zambia national team. At the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, their 4-0 victory over Italy included a hat-trick from Kalusha Bwalya, who won the African Footballer of the Year later that year.
The Tragedy of 1993
One of African football's greatest tragedies was ultimately inextricably linked with one of the continent's greatest footballing fairytales 19 years later. A terrible event happened to the Zambian team on April 27, 1993.
On the evening of 27 April 1993, a DHC-5 Buffalo transport aircraft of the Zambian Air Force crashed into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after taking off from Libreville, Gabon. The flight was carrying most of the Zambia national football team to a 1994 FIFA World Cup Qualifier against Senegal in Dakar. All 25 passengers and five crew members were killed.
All 30 passengers and crew, including 18 players, as well as the national team coach and support staff, died in the accident. The official investigation concluded that the pilot had shut down the wrong engine following an engine fire.
The flight had been specially arranged by the Zambian Air Force for the football team. At the first stop in Brazzaville engine problems were noted. Despite this, the flight continued and a few minutes after taking off from the second stop in Libreville the left engine caught fire and failed. The pilot, who had also flown the team from a match in Mauritius the previous day, then mistakenly shut down the right engine, causing the plane to lose all power during the climb out of Libreville Airport and fall into the water 500 metres (1,600 ft; 550 yd) offshore.
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The aircraft entered service in 1975. The plane had been out of service for five months from late 1992 until 21 April 1993. Test flights were carried out on 22 and 26 April. Prior to the departure for Senegal, checks revealed defects in the engine: carbon particles in oil filters, disconnected cables and trace of heating.
Three players of the "Chipolopolo" were playing with UEFA clubs, and each made separate travel plans from their clubs in Europe to Senegal. Captain Kalusha Bwalya- later national team coach and president of the FAZ - was playing for PSV Eindhoven. Charles Musonda, a player for Anderlecht, was previously injured, staying in Belgium for rehabilitation at the time. Johnson Bwalya played for FC Bulle and would have traveled from Switzerland. Bennett Mulwanda Simfukwe, who had been seconded to the FAZ by his employers (ZCCM) for 5 years and was supposed to be on this flight, wasn't on it because his employers demanded that he should immediately be removed from the list of those who were officially scheduled to travel to Senegal.
A campaign to have the Gabonese crash investigation publicly released continued into the 2000s. In November 2003 a preliminary crash investigation report was released by the Gabonese government, which claimed that the left engine had caught on fire, and in an attempt to control the fire the pilot thought he had shut down that engine, when in reality he shut down the right engine due to a faulty light.
Map showing Libreville, Gabon, where the plane crashed.
Rebuilding After the Disaster
After the disaster, which also cost the life of Zambia's record scorer Godfrey Chitalu, who was travelling with the team as a trainer, the side were rebuilt around their finest player and sole survivor - Kalusha Bwalya. By virtue of being based in the Netherlands, the attacker avoided the flight, but still guided a reconstituted side to the final of the 1994 AFCON, where they heroically reached the final before being defeated by Nigeria's own Golden Generation.
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The resurrected team defied the odds, and displaying an attacking playing style, reached the 1994 African Cup of Nations final against Nigeria. They took the lead in the first half, but the Super Eagles quickly equalised and followed up with the winner in the second half.
"I think after this tragedy footballers in Zambia have felt obliged to give it their all for their nation and for these heroes who passed away," Kawri added. "In particular, Kalusha Bwalya, as these were his teammates." He was not on that flight as he was in Holland at the time and used to get separate flights direct to where the team would be.
Imagine rebuilding an entire mature team who had just crashed? It will take a lot of years to foster the same talent and train them. The country had just lost a generation of extremely talented football players. Kalusha went on to become coach of Zambia (at the 2006 CAN), and is currently the president of the football association of his country.
Africa Cup of Nations Achievements
Zambia has a strong history in the Africa Cup of Nations. They have played in the tournament 19 times. Their best achievement was winning the title in 2012. They also finished as runners-up twice, in 1974 and 1994.
At CAN 1996, they finished first in the group with two victories (5-1 against Burkina Faso, goals from Kenneth Malitoli, double from Kalusha Bwalya, goals from Dennis Lota and Johnson Bwalya); 4-0 against Sierra Leone (a hattrick from Kalusha Bwalya and goal from Mordon Malitoli) and a draw (0-0 against Algeria), beat Egypt (3-1) in the quarterfinals and loses in semis against Tunisia (2-4) but took third place over Ghana (1-0, goal from Johnson Bwalya). Kalusha Bwalya was the best in the competition with 5 goals. From 1998 to 2006, Zambia did not pass the first round, except in 2004 when they failed to qualify.
During the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations, Zambia finished third in the group with a 3-0 victory against Sudan (goals by James Chamanga, Jacob Mulenga and Felix Katongo), a draw (1-1 against Egypt, goal from Chris Katongo) and loss (1-5 against Cameroon, goal from Chris Katongo). In 2010, Zambia finished first in her group and faced Nigeria in the quarter-finals where she lost on penalties.
The Triumph of 2012
In 2012, with the AFCON being held in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, Zambia found themselves back at the site of their darkest hour. In 2012, the best AFCON in Zambia history happened.
After an emotionally charged run to the final, the Southern African underdogs downed a star-studded Ivory Coast side 8-7 on penalties to win the nation's first continental crown. The team - in scenes transmitted across the world - prepared for the showpiece fixture by visiting the coast, at the site of their national tragedy, to pay tribute to the heroes who had gone before.
The team won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012. In 2012, Zambia won the Africa Cup of Nations in Libreville, only a few hundred metres inland from the crash site; the victory was dedicated to the ones who lost their lives in the tragedy.
"I feel this tragedy has brought a real synergy to the national team," current Queens Park Rangers opposition scout Kawri added. "In 2012, when the team won the AFCON in Gabon, where the heroes had perished all of those years ago, it was like a fairytale." I still remember the famous [football commentator] Denis Liwewe saying before the game that the heroes' spirits would be with us in the final against Ivory Coast."
"I think Zambian players. and certainly the ones I have worked with, always feel they have to do that bit more and really give it their all for their country and these heroes," concluded Kawri.
Zambia celebrating their victory at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.
Hero's welcome for Zambia's champions
COSAFA Cup Success
The Zambian team has been very successful in the COSAFA Cup, a regional tournament for Southern African teams. They have won the COSAFA Cup seven times, making them the most successful team in its history. Their wins were in 1997, 1998, 2006, 2013, 2019, 2022, and 2023.
Recent and Upcoming Matches
The Zambian team has played several matches recently. In 2024, they played in the World Cup qualifiers and the 2024 COSAFA Cup. They also played in the 2025 AFCON Qualifiers.
Looking ahead to 2025, Zambia has more matches scheduled. These include friendly games and more World Cup and COSAFA Cup qualifiers.
Notable Facts
- Zambia has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup.
- On September 3, 2006, at home, Zambia achieved the biggest victory in its history against Djibouti, winning 10-0.
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