Magic moment: Zambia celebrate the winning penalty
Golden opportunity: Drogba skies a second-half
penalty
Zambia clinched their first African Nations Cup
crown with a poignant penalty shoot-out win over Ivory
Coast.
Nineteen years after a plane crash which killed 18 members
of their squad in Libreville, the Chipolopolo returned to the Gabon
capital to record the most famous victory in the country's
history.
Zambia:
Mweene,Musonda (Nyambe Mulenga 11), Sunzu, Himonde, Nkausu,
Sinkala, Lungu, Chansa, Christopher Katongo, Kalaba, Mayuka, Nyambe
Mulenga (Felix Katongo 74).
Subs Not Used: Kalililo, Kasonde, Mbesuma, Chamanga,
Chivuta, Chintu, Kangwa, Sakuwaha, Titima.
Booked: Nyambe Mulenga.
Ivory Coast:
Barry, Tiene, Toure, Bamba, Gosso, Zokora (Konan 75), Tiote, Toure
Yaya (Bony 86), Gervinho, Kalou (Gradel 63), Drogba.
Subs Not Used: Yeboah, Boka, Doumbia, Coulibaly, Keita,
Lolo, Eboue,Gnanahouan.
Booked: Tiote, Bamba.
Referee: Badara Diatta (Senegal).
A dramatic shoot-out at the end of 120 minutes of largely
underwhelming football went the way of Zambia when Gervinho shot
wide and Stophira Sunzu stepped up to slot home.
The final proved a tale of penalty woe for Ivory Coast,
chasing their first continental crown for 20 years, with Didier
Drogba also failing from the spot during the 90 minutes.
But the win was ultimately no more than Zambia deserved
for a plucky display against the odds.
The underdogs started brightly and almost claimed a
second-minute lead, Nathan Sinkala's low drive superbly saved by
Ivory Coast goalkeeper Boubacar Barry low to his right.
Zambia boss Herve Renard was forced into a reshuffle after
11 minutes when defender Joseph Musonda was forced from the field
in tears after catching his knee in the turf when making a
challenge.
Nyambe Mulenga came on but the change did not disrupt the
Zambians' flow, with Chisamba Lungu looping a header narrowly over
two minutes later.
Tribute: Zambia display a banner in memory of the plane
crash in 1993 that killed many players in Gabon
Out with a bang: Fireworks signaled the start of the
final game of the tournament
It took Ivory Coast's star-studded line-up 30 minutes to
create a noteworthy chance, a clever backheel from Drogba picking
out Yaya Toure but the Manchester City midfielder failing to find
the target from eight yards.
The match degenerated into a scrappy affair after
half-time with neither side able to put together a period of
sustained pressure.
But in a rare moment of quality,
Gervinho provided Drogba with the chance to redeem himself for his
penalty shoot-out miss in the 2006 final defeat to
Egypt.
The Arsenal forward burst into
the area and was felled by a combination of Isaac Chansa and
Mulenga, but Drogba sidefooted his spot-kick horribly over the
bar.
The Elephants had another chance
to win it in normal time but substitute Max Gradel, having turned
his man inside the area, shot inches wide of the far
post.
Penalty: Gervinho is tripped inside the box
Key moment: Zambia goalkeeper Mweene Kennedy celebrates
Drogba's miss
Extra-time: Ivory Coast head coach Francois Zahoui
speaks to his players at the end of 90 minutes
Zambia also had a late chance with a wonderful
tackle from Kolo Toure preventing Emmanuel Mayuka from getting a
shot on goal when he was well placed.
Zambia had the only chance in the first period of
extra-time and it almost resulted in the opening goal.
Felix Katongo beat his marker down the right and crossed
for brother Christopher, whose close-range shot would have sneaked
in at the near post but for a vital touch from Barry's
boot.
Ivory Coast had two chances to
win it after the break but Didier Ya Konan curled an effort just
wide while, after 117 minutes, Gradel took an airshot when well
placed.
The shoot-out was locked at 7-7
after 14 nerveless penalties before Kolo Toure saw his effort saved
by Kennedy Mweene.
Rainford Kalaba fluffed his big
moment by shooting over the bar but there was no second reprieve
when Gervinho missed and Sunzu slotted in.
Head over heels: Cheick Tiote watches on as Bamba is
challenged by Katongo
Making history: Zambia's players celebrate after the
shootout
