Two tenths of a second. That is how long the power cut lasted that plunged Ndola’s Levy Mwanawasa Stadium into darkness on Tuesday night, in the middle of Zambia v Togo. The result: an 18-minute stoppage, live on television, during an AFCON 2027 qualifier.
It had all started so well for the Chipolopolo. In the 2nd minute, Albert Kangwanda finished from close range, set up by Fashion Sakala according to beIN Sports. Then, around the 20th minute, the floodlights went out. Players and fans were left in the dark. Referee Mahmood Ismail had no choice but to halt the game.
Why so long?
On Wednesday, national power utility ZESCO offered an explanation, Lusaka Times reports. The disturbance occurred at 18:21 and lasted just 0.2 seconds. The problem lies with the floodlights themselves: by design, they need around 20 minutes to return to full brightness after even the slightest interruption. In other words, a tiny glitch on the grid is enough to stop an international match. ZESCO says it will work with the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts on redesigning the stadium’s lighting. It also took the opportunity to congratulate the Chipolopolo.
On the pitch, the blackout did not break Zambia’s momentum. After a string of missed chances in the second half, substitute Eliya Mandanji sealed it in stoppage time. Final score: 2-0. « Togo are a good team but we prepared for them and the boys followed the instructions, » said coach George Lwandamina. Opposite number Patrice Neveu admitted that « Zambia deserved the result ». The only downside was injuries to Miguel Chaiwa and David Simukonda, the latter stretchered off.
A stadium under scrutiny
On three points, Zambia move up to second in Group I, behind Algeria on four. But the incident leaves a mark: according to Lusaka Times, the Ndola venue has suffered repeated power problems before. Zambia’s next home game is against Burundi on November 11. Until then, the federation and the stadium’s managers have six weeks to fix it. Otherwise, the lights could go out again.