Zambia 0 (4) – 0 (3) Ivory Coast – The fun from the fans

It was a frenzy of celebrations this afternoon at Nkoloma stadium after Toaster Nsabata saved a sudden death penalty to send Zambia to the Senegal 2015 U23 CAF Championship.

Nkoloma stadium was packed to the rafters and the fans didn’t disappoint as they remained vociferous throughout the match and there was as much to watch in the stands as there was on the pitch.

Warm-up………

Just when the warm-up was coming to an end the teams were making their way off the pitch, a fan made his way beyond security and strolled to the Ivory Coast side of warm up. He requested for the ball and asked the Ivory Coast goalkeeping coach to go between the posts….. He then took a penalty which he scored and boy was it a celebration…. The chap ran to the corner flag as if he was running for his life… tossed himself in the air (horizontal airborne) to land flat on the ground with his chest first. He picked himself up and ran back past the security who opened the gate for him as he had an official pass to complete the task.

It sure meant for a rousing start to the game.

The battle in the stands……………

It seemed to be a battle in the stands between the Peter Makembo led Zambia Sports Fans Association fans group and the Chipolopolo Soccer Fans Association group.

Both groups did not disappoint as they roared the young bullets from the start.

But the ‘real fans’ showed when the chips were down as only Makembo and his team could be seen drumming the team to victory.

Can Zambia be short of subs?????…………..

With Zambia having completed all their substitutions, Friday Samu lay on the ground injured with the team medics attending to him. Seeing that not one was standing up to warm-up, a pint sized man (Chanda Beu type) sneaked beneath the perimeter fence and sent the crowd roaring with a professional warm-up on the far side of the pitch.

As the security mobilized to go and manhandle the small man, he quickly crawled back under the perimeter wire and disappeared into the stands before the security reached his position. The Paramilitary officer first at the site received the loudest boos of the entire game.

The pitch invasion…..

After the penalty shootout, there was even more drama as hundreds of fans invaded the pitch when the match was declared over. The fans joined the team in celebrating the victory as Toaster Nsabata the hero of the day was lifted shoulder high. The U23 captain had a tough time making his way back to the dressing room and required well-built paramilitary officers for him push his way past the crowds.