A Forgotten Foxes Trophy From Zambia

Next Match | Saturday 18 April Sat 18 Apr

POR

(A)

01 D

13 H

35 M

00 S

Interviews & Features

Heritage

Photos

A Forgotten Foxes Trophy From Zambia

The Club’s Heritage Collection contains many trophies collected over the years, including this one from a trip to Zambia, which carries a unique story behind it.

2025-02-22T14:00+00:00

A Forgotten Foxes Trophy From Zambia

The Club’s Heritage Collection contains many trophies collected over the years, including this one from a trip to Zambia, which carries a unique story behind it.

2025-02-22T14:00+00:00

A Forgotten Foxes Trophy From Zambia

The Club’s Heritage Collection contains many trophies collected over the years, including this one from a trip to Zambia, which carries a unique story behind it.

2025-02-22T14:00+00:00

A Forgotten Foxes Trophy From Zambia

The Club’s Heritage Collection contains many trophies collected over the years, including this one from a trip to Zambia, which carries a unique story behind it.

2025-02-22T14:00+00:00

A Forgotten Foxes Trophy From Zambia

The Club’s Heritage Collection contains many trophies collected over the years, including this one from a trip to Zambia, which carries a unique story behind it.

2025-02-22T14:00+00:00

It’s the kind of artefact you’d stop to admire in a museum: a copper tankard with a dimpled handle, inscribed with the words ‘Peter Stuyvesant International’. The accompanying label would reveal that this cup, named after a famous cigarette brand, was won by Leicester City in 1968.

But as with most trophies, its significance lies with the story behind it, and in this case, the copper tankard represents an unlikely, but strong, link between an East Midlands football club and an entire footballing nation. It’s a link that was rekindled with the signing of Patson Daka in 2021.

In 1968 the Leicester City squad, led by assistant manager Bert Johnson, toured Zambia in a joint tour with a party of 15 qualified FA coaches.

Football tours were common back in the 20th century, with many clubs venturing overseas for a change of scenery and aiming to help develop the game outside of the United Kingdom. Leicester City, particularly active at the airport in the 1960s, had previously toured Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 1961, the Netherlands in 1963, and Singapore in 1967.

Yet, it is this particular tour to Zambia which left a notable legacy, both abroad and at home. Leicester comfortably won all six of the games played (three against the Zambian national side, two versus a Zambian FA XI and another against the English FA Player/Coaches XI), and in the context of the swashbuckling 1960s for the Club, the Zambian trip doesn’t steal the headlines - we’d competed in three FA Cup finals.

The mementos from the trip show its significance in our history, however. Zambia’s then-President, Dr. Kenneth Kuanda, described the visit as ‘probably the greatest occasion in the history of Association Football in Zambia’.

After the squad returned, he wrote a heartfelt letter to the Club’s Chairman, Alf Pallett, thanking him and the team for their insights into the sport, noting that ‘they will help us improve our soccer performances’. It remains the only correspondence the Club has received from a Head of State, and is preserved, safely, in the Club’s archives.

Almost a year later, on the eve of City’s third FA Cup Final in the decade, we received a telegram from Zambia’s Director of Sport wishing the Club well at Wembley with the words ‘Your success will also be ours’. The impact Leicester had on Zambian football, seemingly, lasted well beyond a mere two-week trip.

LATEST HEADLINES

Rowett: James & Ramsey Assessed Pre-Pompey Gary Rowett revealed that Jordan James and Aaron Ramsey are being monitored prior to our trip to Portsmouth.

8 Hours 19 Mins Ago

Pompey Clash Live On Foxes Hub We're at Fratton Park this Saturday lunchtime - here's how to follow the action across Foxes Hub.

9 Hours 24 Mins Ago

McSweeney ‘Really Pleased’ With Leeds Triumph Leon McSweeney believes our Under-21s were rewarded for a high level of performance produced during the 3-2 success over Leeds United on Monday.

15 Apr, 2026

Foxes On Target In World Cup Qualifiers Hannah Cain and Sari Kees both netted in recent FIFA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers, while Emily van Egmond scored for Australia.

15 Apr, 2026