The airplane De Havilland Canada DHC-5D Buffalo, with the AF-319 registration number, tragically killed 18 Chipolopolo players and four technical staff members in Gabon.
Former Zambian striker Wedson Nyirenda was meant to be in the same massacre, but he was told he is not fully fit to travel with the national side.
“We played a friendly game with the national team, I was playing for Power Dynamos. I scored two great goals against the national team but the decision stood that I was unfit,” Nyirenda told Far Post.
“They flew to play a friendly in Mauritius before coming back to Zambia to prepare for the flight to Senegal with the same plane. The players complained that the aircraft was not okay... it was shaky, something was not right.
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“Before I knew it, I heard they had left Zambia for Senegal without me. I was mad. But I told myself these things happen in football. I would join them when they come back.
“On the way to Senegal, they had to stop in Libreville, Gabon. What do I hear? It happened when it was taking off in Gabon. It happend [Nyirenda snaps his finger]. It happened just five minutes after getting up. I was supposed to be in that plane..."
Check out the full video below:
TODAY IN HISTORY...
Former Baroka coach Wedson Nyirenda explains to #FARPost why he wasn't part of the Zambian squad that perished in a plane crash.
— FARPost_ZA (@FARPostZA) April 27, 2020
*It was on 27 April 1993, when it happened, killing all 25 passengers & 5 crew members. May their souls rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/YCbKp9udeX
