01 / The unity launch
We begin together.
31 October 2026
08:30–11:30 · Olimp Africa, Lusaka
A 62-minute continuous match celebrates our tribes through cooperation, rotating participants and mixed sides.
Explore the launchCommunity football, the Zambian way
Our own game. Our own victory.
African Bola brings people together through the traditional Chimbombwa ball, community football and the shared joy of belonging.
Football
Culture
Unity
Culture
Unity
Next eventUnity launch & youth tournament
DateSaturday, 31 October
Time08:30 to 11:30
PlaceOlimp Africa, Lusaka
The inaugural Lusaka tournament · 2026/27
One launch.
48 communities.
A shared journey.
Starting on 31 October, African Bola moves from community to community, bringing youths together through Chimbombwa football, healthy living and local pride.
02 / Community competition
The game travels.
After the launch
48 different communities of Lusaka district
Youths compete in scheduled community games. Winning participants progress towards the tournament finals.
Follow the tournament03 / The finals
The journey comes together.
Sunday, 7 March 2027
OYDIC
A closing football celebration brings the community competition to its finals at OYDIC.
See finals details48 communities describes the reach of the tournament. Communities may share venues and match days. Fixtures will be announced as they are confirmed.
The idea
A ball made by hand. A game owned by everyone.
African Bola celebrates the resourcefulness, imagination and community spirit found in the football games played across Zambia.
The Chimbombwa ball is made largely from discarded plastic gathered within communities. In African Bola, it becomes more than a ball. It connects sport with cultural pride, environmental responsibility, mentorship, health and national unity.
At the unity launch, everyone contributes and Zambia wins. Throughout the tournament, respect and shared belonging stay at the heart of every game.
What African Bola carries
Football becomes a meeting place for the things that matter.
01
Unity and peace
People of different identities and backgrounds play together, celebrate one another and affirm One Zambia, One Nation.
02
Culture and heritage
The traditional ball and the spirit of community football preserve a familiar Zambian story for a new generation.
03
Healthy choices
Sport, mentoring and outreach encourage freedom from drugs, tobacco and harmful alcohol use.
04
Greener communities
Children transform discarded plastic into playable balls while learning creativity and environmental responsibility.
One brand, many editions
A flexible platform for communities across Zambia.
African Bola can be shaped for women, children, young people, colleges, universities, workplaces and communities while retaining one shared identity.
Community editions
Locally rooted games that make participation simple and bring neighbours together.
Special-focus editions
Experiences designed around groups such as mothers, children, youth or students.
National celebrations
Symbolic events that use football, culture and media to carry a message of national importance.
Featured event
73 tribes. Mixed sides. One Zambia.
At the unity launch, participants wear tribe-branded attire and rotate between mixed sides during 62 minutes of continuous play. Different people may proudly carry the name of a tribe other than their own, celebrating its language, culture and traditions.
62
Minutes of continuous play
Symbolising Zambia’s 62 years of independence in 2026.
73
Tribes celebrated
Our identities meet on mixed sides, united in a shared celebration.
Come into the story
Play, volunteer, exhibit or support.
African Bola is free to attend and open to members of the public who register in advance.