After Tragedy, Zambia Triumphs - NYTimes.com Nearly two decades ago, the tiny African nation of Gabon was the site of the darkest chapter in Zambian soccer history. The finest team that Zambia had produced boarded a plane in the capital city of Libreville on its way to a 1994 World Cup qualifier. The plane took off before plunging into the sea, killing everyone on board and robbing a nation of its heroes. Last Sunday, the current national team ensured that Gabon would play another role in the minds of every Zambian when it became the site of their greatest soccer triumph. The Copper Bullets, as Zambia's team is known, won their first Africa Cup of Nations title, 8-7 in a penalty-kick shootout, over heavily favored Ivory Coast. The preceding 120 minutes were scoreless, as the underdog Zambians traded blows with the Elephants. The pivotal moment came midway through the second half, when Didier Drogba, the Chelsea striker who is one of many European club stars on the Ivory Coast team, fired his penalty shot well over the bar. The tension surrounding such an emotional game meant that each chance came at a premium, but it the end, it was Zambia that withstood the pressure. To their countrymen, many of whom are deeply spiritual, the juxtaposition of past sorrow and present joy went a long way in healing old wounds. "It's a huge relief," Benedict Tembo of the Zambia Daily Mail said in a telephone interview. Finally, the 1993 victims can rest in peace knowing that, almost two decades after the crash, a generation of players put in their best throughout the tournament. That dream, that mission, was accomplished. Nineteen years ago, the current soccer federation president Kalusha Bwalya was one of the lucky ones. He was a star striker on the squad in 1993, but was playing club soccer in the Netherlands and avoided the fatal trip. It is his vision that shaped the present day team, one that pays homage to the spirit of those lost. Bwalya echoed the message of the fans at the final that held a sign that read, "Honoring the 1993 Crash Heroes in Style." "We have given tribute to the class of 1993," Bwalya said. I'm absolutely certain that the boys are not far from the form that the 1993 players used to play. It's wonderful for us to be able to come back and try to bring the memories of the 1993 team back on the field. Until now, the names Gabon and Libreville meant nothing but painful memories. Just the mention of the country Gabon for many people, it is that tragedy that comes to mind, nothing else,says Zambia Daily Mail editor Nebat Mbele said in a telephone interview. For Mbele, the plane crash hit harder than most. He had become close with the team as a young sports reporter with the Daily Mail. He remembers vividly the sorrow of his nation. "The reaction in Zambia then was a lot of shock," he said. Not a lot of people wanted to believe that it had happened because it was personal, more than football. When it first happened, people were praying hard that there were survivors on the plane. When it trickled through that everyone on board had died, there was a collective sadness throughout the whole country - all sectors of society, politicians and people in the villages and so on. In the immediate aftermath of the crash, the soccer team was a source of hope, against all odds. A replacement team, led by Bwalya, came within a game of qualifying for the World Cup and reached the final of the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations before losing to Nigeria. The long-term fallout from the disaster left the nation and the soccer program struggling. Copper prices - the main source of foreign exchange for the Zambian economy - plummeted, leading to disillusionment with the government and wide-ranging poverty. The national team could not reach the highs of the early "90s without its golden generation. Things are changing in Zambia. A new president, Michael Sata, came to power last year, bringing with him promises for a brighter future. The combination of the changing of government, the economy looking positive and the team, it makes the people very happy. It is boosting their identity," said Hikabwa Chipande, a leading sports historian in Zambia who is currently doing working on his PhD at Michigan State in the United States. Zambia's success is an extension of the mission of Bwayla's former teammates. "We are proud of the history that the boys left before the air disaster," Bwalya said. When you talk to the people on the street, they remember a lot of good things that the boys did, which is great. We have a history that we cannot run away from and can't avoid. Now, it is a new generation of players that has added a joyful chapter to that history. The captain Christopher Katongo and young striker Emmanuel Mayuka tied for the tournament's goal-scoring lead with three each, and their attacking style added potency to a united team lacing in international stars. Katongo had the final touch on Zambia's best scoring chance of the final, when Ivory Coast keeper Boubacar Barry managed to toe-poke the striker's shot against the post early in extra time, and Mayuka tested the Elephants back line throughout. At the end, however, it was the squad's unshaken belief in its destiny that was the difference. "We don't have a lot of players playing in Europe, but we believe in ourselves and in our skills," midfielder Issac Chansa said. We have a great spirit among the team. In Zambia, a nation where soccer has always had a deep meaning for people, Stoppila Sunzu's winning penalty late in the shootout set off wild celebrations. Car horns and vuvuzelas blasted throughout the night in the capital of Lusaka, fans cloaked in the green and copper colors of the national team streamed into streets around the country, and schools closed for a self-declarednational holiday. The players landed in Lusaka with the trophy nearly 16 hours after the final whistle, and Tembo said the party still had not abated when the heroes arrived. "With football, it inspires a nation," Tembo said. After a victory like that, people forget the problems they have. They forget about their trials and tribulations and just celebrate. Bwayla talked of the chance at an unexpected title in the lead-up to Zambia's date with destiny, and his words carry even more weight in the aftermath of the emotional victory. For him, it was a dream final near the place of his greatest nightmare. "Some of us will be more emotional about it than other people, but the Zambian people have been waiting," he said. They look forward to that day. It will be a great day for Zambia. After witnessing the unrestrained celebrations and tears in Libreville and hearing of the all-night celebrations back in Zambia, great is selling it short. It was a moment that transcended sport, a triumph against all odds. Matt Pentz is a student at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, whose previous work has appeared in Speakeasy Magazine online, The Shin Guardian blog and The Hartford Courant, where he was a summer intern.