Chipolopolo Boys

The Chipolopolo Boys are Zambia's national soccer team. Their coach and assistant trainer are French. They are also my neighbors. I know the assistant trainer's dogs very well. I helped care for them over Christmas. They love to swim in the pool.

As a result of my relationship with my neighbors I have gotten into football. I can now keep up my end of a football conversation with any Zambian male, all of whom adore football. The Chipolopolo Boys (the name means "Copper Bullets", and comes from Zambia's leading industry of copper mining) have played their best football in 14 years with their admission to the Africa's Cup in Angola this past January. They made it to the quarter-finals, giving the high ranking teams of Nigeria and Cameroon some unexpectedly tough competition. So I packed camera and videocam, and some diehard fans from the neighbourhood, and headed for the airport to help give the team a hero's welcome on their return from Angola. We got there at 10 am which was when the radio announced the time of their arrival on an aircraft belonging to the Zambian Air Force and sent to collect them on the orders of the Zambian President. We screamed ourselves hoarse and then went to sit in the shade when it became clear from the absence of important men in suits that national radio had advised us incorrectly. Africans are good at waiting without complaint. They all say quietly under the only nearby tree. Three hours later, they congregated on the tarmac again as there appeared signs of the plane's imminent arrival - a military band struck up and an air-conditioned bus swept in to disgorge VIPS and a huge basket of flowers, a bouquet for each player as he descended the plane. The Chipolopolo Boys looked very dapper in grey pin-striped suits, white shirts and light green ties but they stood out in the crowd as football players because they all looked fit and famous and several had dreadlock hairdos.

It was a fun day. I was happy to share it with my Zambian friends. Had any of my guests been in town pre-or-post wildlife safari I would have encouraged them to join me at the airport. The event was pure Africa, joyous Africa, and in so many ways the most important memory of Africa to take home with you.

Watch for the video of the Chipolopolo Boys Homecoming on the website.

10-03-2010