Kalusha Bwalya marks 33 years since Zambiaâ??s 1993 air disaster

Chipolopolo legend Kalusha Bwalya has paid tribute to Zambia’s fallen heroes as the nation marked 33 years since the 1993 Gabon air disaster.

On April 27, 1993, a Zambian Air Force plane carrying the national team crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Libreville, killing 30 people, including 18 players and officials. The squad had been travelling to Senegal for a World Cup qualifier in what remains one of the darkest moments in African football history.

"Today marks 33 years of the air crash that took 30 of our gallant teammates and officials off the coast of Gabon. Memories of you live with us forever," Bwalya wrote in a tribute shared on social media.

 

Today marks 33 years of the aircrash that took 30 of our gallant teammates and officials off the coast of Gabon. #Chipolopolo . Memories of you live with us forever. #Zambia ????????. Rest in eternal peace ???????? pic.twitter.com/aKwzfeT7Pc

— Kalusha Bwalya (@KalushaPBwalya) April 28, 2026

Bwalya, who captained Zambia at the time, was not on the flight as he was based in Europe and due to travel separately. In the aftermath of the tragedy, he played a central role in rebuilding the national team, guiding a new generation that went on to reach the final of the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations.

Years later, as president of the Football Association of Zambia, Bwalya oversaw one of the most emotional moments in the country’s football history when Zambia won the 2012 AFCON title in Libreville, the same city where the team had perished nearly two decades earlier.

The fallen players are still regarded as one of Zambia’s greatest generations, with their legacy continuing to resonate across African football.

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