In February Zambia won the Africa Cup of Nations. The country exploded in celebration when the Copper Bullets scored the final goal, because nobody thought they had a fighting chance.
It was a poignant victory, because it took place a short distance from the site of the1993 plane crash that killed 18 Zambian soccer players en route to the World Cup Qualifier against Senegal.
Chipolopolo Team!
Chipolopolo Head Coach Herve Renard remained poised in his designer shirt throughout the entire game and has since become quite the superstar in Lusaka. He advertises laundry detergent and cell phones on at least a dozen billboards in the city. It's a good thing he's photogenic, because these are the gigs that are paying his bills. The government has neglected to compensate him for the past six months, and Mr. Renard threatened to resign at the end of June if this nonsense continues.
Mr. Renard recently paid a visit to the French School, because he is a good French man. My kids were ecstatic to meet a celebrity and beamed when they showed me his autograph.
