Zambia’s President Rupiah Banda has urged the Youth, Sport and Child Development minister Kenneth Chipungu to facilitate payment of the US $6,000 (K20,443,500) as winning bonus to the National Soccer team despite losing 5-4 on post match penalties to Nigeria during the on-going 2010 AFCON Cup tournament in Angola.

President Banda urged Mr Chipungu to pay the amount promised to the players if they had won the quarterfinal game against Nigeria.

Mr. Banda said despite the team having lost the game on post-match penalties, the team played very well in the 120 minutes game which included the extra time and therefore deserves the bonus.

The ministry assured the national soccer team players to be paid US $6000 each if they win the quarter finals against Nigeria. The West African footballing giants however ended up as winners against Zambia 5-4 on post match penalties.

And Mr. Banda has urged the country’s soccer fans to turn up in large numbers tomorrow to welcome the National Soccer Team alias Chipopopolo boys from the 2010 Africa Confederation Cup (AFCON) Angola at the Lusaka International Airport.

The President has since dispatched a plane to pick the national team from the mineral rich Southern African country has urged local soccer fans to dress themselves in national colours to welcomethe national team tomorrow.

This is contained in a statement issued to ZANIS in Lusaka today by the Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations, Dickson Jere.

Mr. Banda said the national team made Zambia proud by their excellent performance in the quarterfinal game against Nigeria which they lost 5-4 on post match penalties.

He noted that the last time Zambia reached the quarterfinal was 14 years ago.

The President has also disclosed that he will host the team for a luncheon at State House on Thursday together with various companies that contributed to the Presidential Fund raising Initiative for the team.

President Banda, who has taken a leading role in raising funds for the team, said he was certain that Zambia will be a team to reckon with in the future because it has many young talented players.

Zambia is one of the countries that qualified in the quarter finals at the ongoing Orange Africa Cup of Nations in Angola but was booted out of the competition when they lost to Nigeria by 5-4 on post match penalties.

ZANIS