When my friend Busenga called me recently, he requested that I share my top five Zambian football moments of 2023. I was both excited and slightly troubled by this.
I was excited because I love discussing and writing about football, particularly stuff that has to do with achievements surrounding the beautiful game on and off the pitch.
The trouble, on the other hand, was the challenge of having to confine my choices to just five moments in a year that, I believe, had been rich with many noteworthy events.
However, after some thought, I was able to identify my top five moments. Happenings, I believe, are worth celebrating and remembering even as we close the year.
5. FOREST RANGERS CROWNED ABSA CUP KINGS
On May 27, Forest Rangers opened their trophy cabinet for the first time since 2004!
The club and its fans celebrated winning the ABSA Cup when they beat FC MUZA 2-0 in a final played at Woodlands Stadium in Lusaka.
This ended a 19-year wait for any silverware for the Ndola club.
Unfortunately for them, they have failed to qualify for the next edition and will not be able to defend their title.
4. POWER DYNAMOS END LEAGUE TITLE DROUGHT
Until this year, Power Dynamos had suffered a dry spell in the league for 12 long years leaving their fans, sponsors, and sympathizers thirsty for silverware.
Before Mwenya Chipepo’s arrival, their cabinet was only opened on three occasions in 2012, 2013, and 2016 for the purposes of placing the Samuel ‘Zoom’ Ndhlovu Charity Shield, not the league title.
The league title drought finally ended earlier this year when they clinched the 2022–23 season title.
However, their chances of defending the league this season are in jeopardy, having started the campaign on a poor note.
3. COPPER QUEENS MAKE WORLD CUP DEBUT
Women’s football at the national team level has been on the rise in Zambia for a while. Please, underline ‘national team level’ because I believe there is still a lot to do at the domestic league level.
The crowning moment for our Copper Queens was this year when they made their World Cup debut at the tournament that was co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
While we were taught a football lesson in heavy defeats to Japan and Spain, the team accounted for itself well in the final group game against Costa Rica, leaving the stage with a 3 –1 win.
The World Cup experience may come in handy as we seek to conquer the continent at the Africa Cup in Morocco next year.
2. BARBRA BANDA SCORES THE WORLD CUP’S 1,000TH GOAL.
Still keeping things women’s football, our GOAT Barbra Banda etched her name into Women’s World Cup history this year. Banda netted the tournament’s 1,000th goal from the spot in Zambia’s 3-1 win over Costa Rica.
This milestone may not mean much to you and me but it does to the world football governing body FIFA.
Such was the significance of the moment that FIFA collected Banda’s boots, the very footwear she used for the historic goal, for their museum in Zurich. Not only the boots, but also the match ball used for the 1,000th goal now find a permanent home in the museum, immortalized as a tangible piece of Women’s World Cup history.
1. CHIPOLOPOLO BOOK AFCON TICKET
After eight years of wandering, it had to take a certain Israeli, Avram Grant to lead Zambia back to the continent’s football-promised land, the Africa Cup of Nations.
When the roll call is made at the event in Ivory Coast next year, Zambia’s name will be among those called out. It had not been so for the last three AfCON editions.
Under the stewardship of Grant, Zambia were able to regain their AfCON birthright, making it back to the event with a game to spare in a group that had heavyweights from Ivory Coast.
I extend my best wishes to Grant and the team as they start their preparations for our return to the table of African football’s elites!
Merry Christmas! Share your best moments of 2023 in the comments.
