ZESCO EXPLAINS 18-MINUTE FLOODLIGHTS BLACKOUT DURING ZAMBIA-TOGO MATCH
ZESCO EXPLAINS 18-MINUTE FLOODLIGHTS BLACKOUT DURING ZAMBIA-TOGO MATCH
ZESCO Limited has attributed the 18-minute interruption during Zambia’s 2-0 victory over Togo at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium to the design of the stadium’s floodlighting system, revealing that the actual power disturbance lasted just 0.2 seconds.
The disruption occurred at around 18:21 hours during Tuesday evening’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, forcing the match to temporarily stop as players and spectators waited for the floodlights to regain full brightness.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, ZESCO said the electricity disturbance lasted only a fraction of a second but triggered a lengthy recovery period because of the design of the stadium’s lighting infrastructure.
“ZESCO Limited acknowledges the power disturbance during the Zambia vs Togo match at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium last night. The disturbance occurred at 18:21 hours and lasted 0.2 seconds. However, the design of the affected stadium floodlights requires approximately 20 minutes for them to return to full brightness after a power disturbance,” the utility said.
The explanation means that although the power supply was disrupted for less than a second, the stadium’s floodlights required significantly longer to restore adequate lighting conditions, resulting in the 18-minute stoppage.
ZESCO said it would engage the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts to explore possible modifications to the stadium’s lighting system in a bid to prevent similar incidents during future sporting events.
“ZESCO will engage the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Arts to look into redesigning the stadium’s lighting system to minimise the risk of similar disruptions during future matches,” the statement said.
The interruption briefly overshadowed an otherwise successful evening for the Chipolopolo Boys, who claimed a 2-0 victory over Togo to strengthen their hopes of qualifying for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
ZESCO congratulated the national team on the victory and said the proposed discussions with the ministry would focus on improving the resilience of the stadium’s floodlighting system and its ability to recover quickly from momentary power disturbances.