http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns...riumph?cc=4716
From tragedy to triumph
February 28, 2012
Goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene was 8 years old in 1993 when the Zambian Air Force plane carrying the national team 2 their World Cup qualifier in Dakar crashed, killing wat was then the golden generation of Zambian footballers. He was more than 10 years away fr making his international debut & 19 fr being part of a new golden generation, who won the African Nations Cup & dedicated their victory 2 the memory of their fallen countrymen.
Most of his current team-mates were of a similar age, 2 young 2 comprehend exactly wat had happened off the coast of Gabon but old enough 2 know tat it was something tat would haunt the country 4 many years. The horror of tat April day only fully sunk in when they accompanied their football association president, Kalusha Bwalya, who escaped death becos he was on a different flight fr PSV in the Netherlands, 2 the beach closest 2 the crash. There it all became chillingly real.
"Most of us were very young when the crash happened. So it was good 4 us 2 go & see somewhere near where it had all happened," Mweene told ESPNsoccernet. "Something happened there. We knew we had 2 push ourselves & decided we would be playing 4 tat team & we did it. Now their souls will rest in peace."
Zambia's win over Ivory Coast in the final of tis year's ANC saw them claim their 1st continental cup & complete a journey tat started with tragedy & ended in triumph. Beyond the fairytale though, is a story of grit & hard work tat finally paid off 4 a team of foot-soldiers with few superstars.
Mweene is 1 of the most committed of the worker bees, having been Zambia's 1st choice goalkeeper since 2004. He has played in 4 previous ANC competitions, each time seeing his team get closer but still 2 far fr the prize, & played an important part in the gradual improvement over the years. "In each tournament, we learnt something & soon we realised tat we would hv 2 do something different if we wanted 2 win," he said.
The 'something different' was not a technical thing. Zambia had a solid defence, a creative midfield & aggressive strikers. There were few big-names in their line-up (if big names are judged by who has a name recognised in Europe) but enough strength in the collective 2 make up 4 tat. The difference came in their attitudes. "There was more dedication & more team spirit," Mweene said.
Zambia had welcomed back coach Herve Renaud on the eve of the tournament, aft Dario Bonetti, who oversaw their qualification process, was fired less than 48 hours aft Zambia booked their tickets 2 the tournament. Mweene said the behind the scenes activity did not distract the players in any way, claiming : "The players had all been 2gether 4 a long time & most of us r based in South Africa, so it didn't matter 2 us. The commitment & unity we had was brilliant."
Fr their opening encounter, against Senegal, Zambia had a buzz abt them. They shocked 1 of Africa's traditional powerhouses with an energetic display tat saw them take a 2-0 lead inside 20 mins. Senegal wasted opportunities 2 wrest the advantage & Zambia's defence continued 2 thwart them 2 set the tone 4 a tournament in which their never-say-die attitude dominated.
"Senegal were 1 of the tournament favourites & we didn't give them 2 much opportunity," Mweene said. The rest of the group was relatively plain sailing as Zambia overcame co-hosts Equatorial Guinea without much fuss & drew with a spirited Libyan side 2 qualify 4 the quarter-finals.
It was there that they showed their strongest hand, dispatching Sudan 3-0 2 advance further than they had managed since 1996. Africa's sweethearts, Ghana, awaited but Mweene almost singlehandedly kept Zambia in the game with athletic saves, including 1 fr an Asamoah Gyan penalty. Instead of being overawed by the man who stepped up 2 take the spot-kick, Mweene said he knew exactly wat 2 do 2 deny him.
"I hv watched these guys like Gyan play in Europe, so I know how they play," he said. "I asked Gyan if he believed the penalty was genuine & I said if it was really a penalty he would score. And I decided b4 he kicked tat I would dive 2 my left." With mind games & a plan, Mweene denied the striker, who would go on 2 take a break fr international football aft the tournament becos of the emotional scarring caused fr having attempts saved @ the 2010 World Cup & the 2012 AFCON.
The same banter is wat Mweene said he used against Didier Drogba, who skied his attempt in the final. Mweene was in his element in the penalty shootout & also saved fr Kolo Toure 2 add another big name 2 the list of players he has denied. Despite 2 hours of end 2 end football, in which he was on his toes all the time, Mweene said he was ready 4 the shootout, insisting: "When u train, it's not abt 90 mins, it's about preparing 4 120 mins so it wasn't something new 2 me."
Mweene may hv been the only calm presence in the Zambian side tat day as even the usually suave Renaud let his frustrations show - he had an explosive touchline scuffle with Davies Nkausu, aft the defender let Gervinho tear 2wards goal & pushed the player in the chest. Mweene said the emotions of the occasion only caught up with him afterwards, when the squad returned 2 Lusaka.
"Fr the airport 2 the showgrounds, it was packed everywhere," he said. "I don't even think u could drive @ 20 kmph becos it was so full. It was a good feeling. We didn't know wat we did until we went back there & showed the trophy 2 the people. Zambians were waiting a long time 4 tat."
Mweene was named goalkeeper of the tournament & his team-mate Christopher Katongo player of the tournament but the 4mer said neither of them deserved all the credit 4 Zambia's win: "I wouldn't take the credit on my own, it was abt the collective & how we played 2gether. It would be unfair 2 say it was becos of any 1 of us."
The euphoria of tat day will long remain in Mweene's memory, as will the physical rewards. Mweene was given 250 hectares of land & 2 herds of cattle by the Chief of the Swaka people of the town of Mkushi. He has been careful not 2 dwell on these things 4 2 long though & has returned 2 Free State Stars in South Africa. Playing 4 the club is wat Mweene calls his "bread & butter" football & he longs 2 win a Premier Soccer League title with the team, who r currently 7th in the table.
Mweene also dreams of joining the likes of Drogba & Gyan in an overseas league but is not 2 fussed if he is not contacted. "Maybe b4 the start of the next season, maybe some1 will be interested," he said. Foremost in his mind is helping Zambia qualify 4 the 2014 World Cup. "We 1 2 hv new success," he revealed. By the time tat tournament takes place, he will be 30, old enough 2 achieve "something bigger."