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All the 30 members aboard, who had travelled for the world cup qualifier, perished, shutting an almost entire golden generation.
A Zambian Air Force plane (De Havilland Canada DHC-5D Buffalo) destined for Dakar, Senegal, with Zambia's national football team, crashed in the Atlantic Ocean, 500 meters offshore from Libreville, Gabon, on this day in 1993.
All the 30 members aboard, who had travelled for the world cup qualifier, perished, shutting an almost entire golden generation.
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Among the thirty passengers were inclusive of eighteen players, many of whom were experienced, with many fancying them to qualify for their maiden world cup, which was destined for the United States in 1994.
The Gabonese government, in their investigation, revealed that the pilot had shut down the wrong engine after a fire, a human error attributed to fatigue.
Marines that were instantly sent to look for survivors found nothing but bodies, many of which were utterly unrecognizable.
A total of 26 bodies out of 30 were recovered, but only 13 were later identified by a Zambian contingent led by Vernon Mwaanga at a private funeral parlour in Gabon.
Then Zambian President Fredrick Chiluba, who had a trip to East Africa, cancelled it and in his statement, he said, "Let us mourn our heroes with the dignity they deserve," as quoted by BBC.
"A period of national mourning is declared as Zambia waits for the remains of the team to arrive. Zambia Mourns!"
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Interestingly, two months after the crash,team captain Kalusha Bwalya, who hadn't travelled with the team, as he was meant to link up from the Netherlands, led a new section to a world cup qualifying victory against Morocco.
Bwalya's 60th-minute freekick and a strike from John Bwalya cancelled out Rachid Daoudi's opener to give Zambia a memorable 2-1 victory.
"The friends we had lost we have in our thoughts, and we gave such a wonderful performance for them," the skipper recalled as quoted by Reuters.
Even more amazingly, Zambia, a year later, made the finals of the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations in Tunisia before eventually losing 2-1 to Nigeria.
The Chipolopolo did not give up a chase towards paying a more deserving and extensive tribute to their fallen brothers.
Ironically, 20 years after the tragedy, they won the AFCON in Gabon, also the actual site of the devastating crash.
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The Friday ceremony to remember the fallen heroes is slated initially for the Shadows of Lusaka Independence Stadium, where the players were buried.
The main celebrations and tributes will then occur at the National Heroes Stadium.
Players who perished in the crash
David Chabala, Richard Mwanza, Whiteson Changwe, John Soko, Samuel Chomba, Robert Watiyakeni, Winter Mumba, Kenan Simambe, Derby Makinka, Wisdom Mumba Chansa, Eston Mulenga, Moses Chikwalakwala, Numba Mwila, Godfrey Kangwa, Timothy Mwitwa, Kelvin Mutale, Patrick Banda, Moses Masuwa.
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