11 December,2016 07:22 AM IST | | AFP
Colombia's Atletico Nacional arrived in Japan on Saturday to contest the Club World Cup, carrying the hopes of a continent still mourning after last month's Chapecoense air disaster
Osaka: Colombia's Atletico Nacional arrived in Japan on Saturday to contest the Club World Cup, carrying the hopes of a continent still mourning after last month's Chapecoense air disaster.
Nacional's incidental part in the tragedy - the Brazilian team were en route to play them when their plane crashed, killing 71 people, including all but three Chape players - has thrust them into the public eye.
Nacional promised to honour the memory of their stricken rivals after touching down in Osaka for the Club World Cup's first semi-final in midweek.
"The best tribute we can give them is to play a great tournament and reach the final," Nacional coach Reinaldo Rueda told reporters at Kansai International Airport after their long-haul flight.
"We will remember this tragedy for the rest of our lives," said Nacional captain Alexis Henriquez. "As a footballer you just don't expect something like this."
