In Wake of Tragedy, Zambia Wins
Zambia’s revamped soccer team, wearing black armbands in memory of its comrades who were killed in a plane crash April 28, returned to the field Sunday and defeated Morocco, 2-1, at Lusaka, Zambia, in a qualifying game for the 1994 World Cup.
It was Zambia’s first international game since the day 30 people, 18 of them players, died when their plane plunged into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Libreville, Gabon.
About 50,000 friends, relatives and fans crowded into Independence Football Stadium, where the players were buried May 3 in a semicircle around the stadium. The game began with a minute of silence.
Zambia’s lineup consisted of European-based players who were not on the plane that crashed, plus new players based in Zambia. The team, which trained in Denmark in recent weeks, continues African Cup Nations qualifying Sunday against South Africa and Zimbabwe on July 26.
Zambia leads Group B of the second round of African qualifying with a 1-0 record, ahead of Morocco (1-1) on goal differential. Senegal (0-1) is last in the group. The winner advances to the 1994 World Cup, to be played in nine U.S. cities next June 17-July 17.
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Argentina won its second consecutive Copa America, defeating Mexico, 2-1, at Guayaquil, Ecuador, on a goal by Gabriel Batistuta with 16 minutes to play.
After not having won a Copa America, or America Cup, since 1959, Argentina has now claimed the title in 1991 and 1993. Mexico was trying to become the first non-South American nation to win the South American championship since it began 1917.
Mexico, like the United States, received a special invitation to this tournament. The United States failed to get through the first round. Mexico reached the final by defeating Peru, 4-2, in the quarterfinals and Ecuador, 2-0, in the semifinals.
Even though Mexico loss, tens of thousands of dancing, chanting, horn-honking fans celebrated in Mexico City.
Boxing
Frank Maloney, the manager of WBC heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, said he is close to completing a deal for a title defense in Las Vegas against Tommy Morrison. Maloney said he then expects Riddick Bowe, who holds the WBA and IBF titles, to agree to a unification fight against Lewis early next year. He said the champions would split the purse evenly.
Miscellany
Brown University won the Ladies Plate for eights and Harvard triumphed in the Britannia Cup for coxed fours as U.S. crews celebrated the Fourth of July with victories at the Henley Royal Regatta at Henley-on-Thames, England.
Karolyn Kirby and Liz Masakayan defeated Gail Castro and Elaine Roque, 15-9, in the final to win a women’s beach volleyball tournament at Quincy, Mass.
Thomas Osano won the 6.2-mile Peachtree Road Race at Atlanta, overtaking fellow Kenyan Sammy Leilei, the defending champion, in the last 300 yards to win in 28 minutes 5 seconds. Uta Pippig of Germany won the women’s division in 32:15.
The United States defeated Brazil, 106-92, to win the Americas’ Cup women’s basketball tournament at Rio de Janeiro. The victory avenged an overtime loss to Brazil in the semifinals.
