Last Post to 2024
As the curtains come down on 2024, we salute some members of the football family who left us over the last 12 months.
-Norin Betani
Indeni Roses striker Norin Betani,24 died from Malaria on February 21 following her admission to hospital in Lusaka in the middle of a Zambia women's national team camp just days before their 2024 Olympic qualifier against Ghana.
-Justin Shonga
On June 30, the talented enigmatic striker Justin Shonga passed away suddenly from an illness.
A prolific Chipolopolo striker, Shonga was the stand-out player at the 2021 COSAFA Cup in Port Elizabeth where he scored 3 goals as then defending champions made an unceremonious and unprecedented preliminary stage exit.
It was to be the nomadic Shonga's last call-up.
He was 27.
-Shy Kumwenda
On July 19, Shy Kumwenda died after suffering a stroke in Lusaka.
Kumwenda rose as a U17 prodigy in the mid-1990s with his physics-defying corner kicks and breathtaking wing play that he topped up with deadly crosses.
However, Kumwenda's massive talent was never fully fulfilled at the senior level.
He was 50.
-John Luchembe
On August 21, ex-Zesco United team manager and the club's executive committee member John Luchembe passed away after an illness.
-Hanif Adams
And then on September 8, Hanif Adams died.
Hanif was the doyen of privately held club administration that saw the modest club he started in 1980 Lusaka Dynamos punch above its weight against the establishment of parastatal and defence and security sponsored heavyweights.
Dynamos' moment of glory came in 2008 when they won their only silverware to date when they lifted the last-ever held BP Top 8 Cup.
Dynamos would over the years also produce over half a dozen natural-born thrillers of the Zambian game.
-Lusekelo Kamwambi
On October 11, former Chipolopolo Zambia team manager of the 2012 fame Lusekelo Kamwambi died.
The fervent Kamwambi started his career in the national team structures in 2002 as Zambia U23 team manager together with two-thirds of the players that would later attained legendary status as 2012 AFCON champions in Libreville, Gabon.
-Lorenzo Lihusha
Broadcaster Lorenzo Lihusha died at Mina Soko Hospital on October 31.
The popular football broadcaster was also the author of the book 'A Wake Up Call What Zambian Football Needs.