FAZ GUIDES ON OBSERVANCE OF THIS YEAR’S GABON AIR DISASTER DAY
Press Statement
(For Immediate Release)
Football Association of Zambia
Football House, Lusaka
26th April 2026
The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) says all its provincial offices will hold commemorative activities on April 28, 2026, in honour of the victims of the Gabon Air Disaster.
This follows a directive issued by FAZ President Keith Mweemba during the FAZ Eastern Province Annual General Meeting on Wednesday last week which underscored the need for a unified and dignified nationwide remembrance.
The Gabon Air Disaster remains one of the most painful chapters in our Zambian football history. The players and officials who lost their lives did so in service to the nation. Their sacrifice must remain firmly etched in our collective memory.
FAZ Provincial offices have therefore been guided to organise simple but meaningful activities that enable communities across the country to participate in remembrance.
Suggested activities include a moment of silence in schools, markets, workplaces, and public spaces; candle-lighting or small vigil gatherings at central points such as churches; short church or interfaith prayers; and community clean-up initiatives in honour of the fallen heroes.
Radio and media tributes, including remembrance messages and reflections throughout the day, are also encouraged.
We also call upon the families of the victims to remain united in preserving the legacy of their loved ones. While time has passed, the bond forged through their sacrifice remains a shared source of pride for the nation.
Further, FAZ urges the corporate sector to partner in restoring and elevating the Heroes Acre at Independence Stadium into a site that reflects the dignity and stature of the fallen heroes.
It is not enough to honour them in words while their resting place falls short of the reverence they deserve.
In the same vein, we call upon the National Museums Board to take renewed interest in the Heroes Acre for preservation and national heritage recognition. The long-standing call to establish a befitting memorial and museum must now be pursued with urgency.
As a football family and as a nation, we owe it to these heroes to remember them with purpose, consistency, and honour.
For and on behalf of the Football Association of Zambia
Nkweto Tembwe
Head of Media and Communications