Yet - within less than a year of that disaster - Zambia fielded a new team that faced Nigeria in the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations Final - and lost by just 2-1.
Zambia's match against Angola is a re-match of the 1999 semifinal, where Angola gained a surprise 1-0 triumph and ended a 14-year unbeaten run at the Independence stadium in Lusaka for Zambia's national team.
This April will mark 19 years since Zambia's brilliant young team was lost to the sea off the coast of Libreville in one of Africa's worst sporting accidents.
Zambia coach Herve Renard will be pleased his team managed to contain Nigeria, who were favourites before the game - but in truth it was a poor showing from Shaibu Amodu's side who were relieved to go through.
She was in Zambia in April 1993 when virtually the entire national team were killed in a plane crash while travelling to Gabon for a World Cup qualifying match.