http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/130220...ebrations.html
African Cup of Nations - Zambia coach carries injured player to celebrations
Mon, 13 Feb
There was hardly a dry eye in the house on Sunday when Zambia won the African Cup of Nations in Gabon, almost 20 years aft their national team was killed in an air crash in the country.
But a moment of humanity & thoughtfulness fr coach Herve Renard heightened those feelings still further.
Zambia beat Ivory Coast in an epic penalty shoot-out - & in the excitement of the victory the entire squad rushed on 2 the pitch 2 celebrate in a huge circle, the players' arms around each other.
1 man was left out of those celebrations, however: Joseph Musonda, 1 of the key members of the team, who had limped off the pitch 11 mins in2 the final with an ankle injury. He had been left bandaged up & unable 2 walk.
Frenchman Renard refused 2 let 1 of his chief lieutenants miss out on the fun: he picked up the veteran midfielder & ran on 2 the pitch 2 deliver him 2 his team-mates so tat he could revel in his nation's moment of glory.
The heart-warming scene prompted memories of Derek Redmond being helped over the line by his father @ the 1992 Olympics, or US gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi carrying Kerri Strug on to the podium 2 collect gold 4 years later.
Aft the match, Renard paid tribute 2 the players who died in the 1993 disaster which claimed 18 of Zambia's international squad.
Renard called the 18 a "silent force", while victorious players explained the importance of honouring their dead compatriots, whose plane went down not far fr the Libreville stadium where Zambia won the African Nations Cup against the much-fancied Ivory Coast side which included Premier League stars such as Didier Drogba.
"It was very emotional & the memory of the players who died here played a big part," said Zambia midfielder Isaac Chansa.
"1s they said the final would be held in Gabon, we said 'tis is ours tis time around'. It was written somewhere, u can see tat fr the miss of Drogba."
Ivory Coast's captain squandered a penalty 20 mins fr time 2 allow Zambia 2 force the game in2 extra time & go on 2 win 8-7 on penalties @ the end of a thrilling encounter.
"The players who were killed in the plane crash in Gabon were wat was behind us & wat was driving us thru the tournament," said goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene.
"We did not 1 2 go home empty-handed."
Zambia's victorious squad left in a chartered plane 4 home on Monday, departing fr the same airport where a Zambia air force plane had refuelled on its way 2 Senegal 4 a World Cup qualifier in March 1993, & then exploded shortly aft take off.
The 18 players killed made up a highly-rated national squad, with high hopes of qualifying 4 the 1994 World Cup, although leading forward Kalusha Bwalya was not on the flight as he was scheduled 2 join the team in Senegal aft travelling directly fr his Dutch club PSV Eindhoven.
Bwalya subsequently became the symbol of the rebuilding of Zambian football & is now the national football association president. His influence was evident as the players mobbed him on Sunday when he joined them in the post-match celebrations.
"There is no 1 who feels it more strongly than Kalusha," said Renard. "He has lived thru it all these years."
Bwalya had spoken briefly 2 his players in the dressing-room aft Sunday's win but hid his emotion, Chansa said. "But we knew wat he was feeling."
Renard said the symbolism of the final in Gabon had proved a powerful spur.
"Perhaps we were lucky in the draw when all our matches were scheduled in Equatorial Guinea," Renard said of the neighbouring country tat co-hosted the Nations Cup.
"The only way we could hv got 2 Gabon was 2 play in the final & tis focused the players. They wanted 2 come & honour their fallen comrades."
Just b4 leaving Libreville, winger Felix Katongo said: "We wanted 2 win the trophy 2 make the Zambian people proud & so those who died may rest in peace. Now their souls r @ peace."