THE POTENCY OF THE CHIPOLOPOLO’S GOD …and that big names do not equate to success, or charismatic football.

The African Cup of Nations has come and gone. I watched almost all games and even if I wasn’t happy that daddy didn’t make it to the finals, who would complain that mummy emerged second?

From the onset before the tournament, I suspected some funny or rather ridiculous moves that may see an unknown country come out proud winners and so did it be. Whoever believed that in a tournament that many sullenly predicted would be ‘boring’ without the powerhouses Egypt, Nigeria or Cameroon, Zambia, who were never even tipped as dark horses, gave fans one of the most exciting AFCON finals ever, catching the imagination and proving that big names do not equate to success, or even positive, charismatic football. At the latter end, I started enjoying myself and trust me that at the end, I came to a conclusion that God may be a Zambian. Why not? Didn’t they convincible thrash Sudanese Jediane Falcons? Didn’t they change the ‘Black Stars’ to ‘White Moon’? Didn’t they make the Elephants crawl back into the bush? Didn’t they get $59, 000 as rewards for their performance in the competition? Didn’t they break into the world’s top 50 and Africa’s 4^th position? Who said that God isn’t a Zambian then?

After the AFCON 2012, I am thinking of paying my own tribute to the dead brethren but will rather call my kids with names like Christopher Katongo (the military man who will not leave soccer for people like us and go back to the war front) or Emmanuel Mayuka (the man all Ghanaians will be raining thunder and brimstones upon. His goal against Ghana in the Semi Finals was a mark of great talent. At just 21 years, he not only scores but assists). The Chipolopolo did show that spirits do live and that divine justice after 19 years can and is a reality.

Even the likes of Demba Ba, Demma Ma, Demsister, and Dembrother couldn’t stop the perishing souls on that bank of Gabon to resurrect. If big names do play football, then certainly Senegal should have won against relatively unknown Chipolopolo lads (though their faces spoke of their old-papaish). Zambians have virtually unknowns but watching the game you’d think it was the other way round. We all saw what the star-studded teams did.

God is organized and it showed in the team play of the Zambians. They played as a team with pace, skill and displaying the beauty of the game. Chaiii, a friend of mine who was watching one of the Copper Bullets matches screamed after that goal against Ghana, ‘God is love’, for real Grand Pa is.

Spain are known recently for their well partnered play but trust me that even if you are the only Spanish speaking African country as Equatorial Guinea team is, it doesn’t stop the Chipolopolo’s God to humiliate you.

If you noticed, you will understand with me that at this last tournament, the West African teams were bigger and slower. The North African teams were big, strong and of high endurance capacity including their high temperament. The South and East Africans were smaller, leaner and faster.

The potency of the Chipolopolo’s God came shinning once more when HE challenged Ghana’s Asamoah Gyan (who is Ghana’s numero uno public enemy. Read http:yemilog.blogspot.com/) face to face and pinched him to go pre-dancing even when the ball was sent far away to yonder. That same potency came face to face with the Elephant leader, Didier Drogba. Had Drogba scored, then the whole graveyards in Zambia may have decided to stop giving free sex! But for business sake and for more income into the people’s pocket, Mweena showed Drogba what it really meant to be huge and tall.

Go tell it on the mountain that the God of Zambia still exists after 19 years and that big names do not equate to success, or charismatic football.