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SATA Names New Lusaka Stadium as ‘Gabon Disaster Heroes National Stadium’
Government has named the new Lusaka stadium which is under construction and almost complete as Gabon Disaster Heroes National Stadium, Tumfweko understands.
An impeccable source disclosed to Tumfweko that the decision was arrived at in a cabinet meeting held on monday and was chaired by President Sata at state house.
The 50,000 capacity stadium under construction in Lusaka will now be called Gabon Disaster Heroes National Stadium after the Zambia national soccer team that perished in the 1993 Gabon air crash.
And Minister of Sport and Youth Chishimba Kambwili has since confirmed the development.
“Cabinet has finally approved the name of Lusaka stadium, which will be called Gabon Disaster Heroes National Stadium. This is in honour of our national football team that perished in 1993 while on national duty,” Kambwili said.
He said there is need to honour the players and officials, whose remains are buried near the ultra-modern stadium.
Kambwili thanked Cabinet for the gesture, saying the move will enable the contractor Shanghai Construction to do final touches among them fitting chairs bearing the name of the stadium.
The stadium, which is about 85 percent complete, is expected to be handed over to Government at the end of this year.
The Zambia Air Force Buffalo plane plunged into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Libreville killing all the 30 passengers on board among them 18 players on April 28, 1993.
The team was on its way to Dakar for a 1994 United States of America World Cup qualifier against Senegal.
The team:
Efford Chabala (goalkeeper), John Soko (defender), Whiteson Changwe (defender), Robert Watiyakeni (defender), Eston Mulenga (midfielder), Derby Makinka (midfielder), Moses Chikwalakwala (midfielder), Godfrey Kangwa (midfielder), Kelvin Mutale (striker), Wisdom Chansa (midfielder), Timothy Mwitwa (midfielder), Numba Mwila (midfielder), Richard Mwanza (goalkeeper), Samuel Chomba (defender), Moses Masuwa (midfielder), Kenani Simambe (striker), Winter Mumba (defender) and Patrick Banda (midfielder).
Others are Godfrey ‘Ucar’ Chitalu (coach), Alex Chola (assistant coach), Wilson Mtonga (physiotherapist), Michael Mwape (FAZ chairman), Wilson Sakala (FAZ committee member), Nelson Zimba (government representative) and Joseph Bwalya Salimu (journalist).
The rest are colonel Fenton Mhone (pilot), Lt colonel Victor Mubanga (co-pilot), Lt colonel James Sachika (co-pilot), warrant officer Edward Nambote (fitter) and corporal Tomson Sakala (steward).
What do you make of the naming of the new Lusaka stadium as Gabon Disaster Heroes National Stadium ?
Posted by
KA GELO
July 11, 2013 at 9:51 am
Let us call it “Heroes Stadium” or “1993 Heroes Stadium” please!!
colins mwango
July 11, 2013 at 10:00 am
naming a stadium after the heros is ok not where rb wanted to name it after him when he was still alive
Kennedy
July 11, 2013 at 10:10 am
Plz not “Gabon” dadadada….This is bad
chibanga
July 11, 2013 at 10:14 am
Pa Zeb we have low thinking ministers. Remore Gabon, Disaster and National.
Tech1
July 11, 2013 at 10:15 am
if leaders do read these postings- on a positive note, lets name our stadium as – HEROES NATION STADIUM
Truth2
July 11, 2013 at 10:25 am
HEROES NATIONAL STADIUM is much better and quick to pronounce.If not changed,the stadium will be called by short cuts such as th GABON stadium and this will sound more of a bad luck than victory.
chate
July 11, 2013 at 10:26 am
HEROS NATIONAL STADIUM sounds better
Tech1
July 11, 2013 at 10:44 am
Just worried that the word Disaster is negative. And then naming our Stadium after another country is equally not well placed. so a more reasonable name that will still bear the memories of the 1993 incidence is HEROES NATION STADIUM
Grace
July 11, 2013 at 10:45 am
This name is not pleasing at all. “Gabon Disaster” no please, its like calling for more disaster at the same time sounds like honoring Gabon by naming a stadium after them.
If I was asked to name the stadium, I would name it
THE KK ELEVEN HEROES STADIUM,
I mean, that’s what they were called (THE KK 11).
ngoni worrior
July 11, 2013 at 10:58 am
NATIONAL HEROES STADIUM or MEMORIAL PARK.
quotriver
July 11, 2013 at 11:03 am
This reminds of the basket mouth. The school I went to! Just the name of my school can even make you fail an Exam. Umukoro development Community High school. Same as Gabon heroes disaster internaional stediu. Reinventing the whele.
How can you win football like that.
A
July 11, 2013 at 11:13 am
IF I WAS YOUR PRESIDENT, I WOULD HAVE NAMED IT
KK 11 MEMORIAL STUDIUM.
Name finder
July 11, 2013 at 11:18 am
Sata is not a soccer fan, so even naming that stadium was a forcing matter. We will call it THE KK11 HEROES NATIONAL STADIUM
Ba foloko kali mwitobo
July 11, 2013 at 2:07 pm
Naming it Gabon …… is just the same as naming it Jean Fidel Diramba after that Gabonese referee who denied us the chance of going to the world cup in 1994.
At least name it Heroes National Stadium or THE KK11 HEROES NATIONAL STADIUM, coz they were the last team to be called KK11. Please please please!!!!!!