ZAMBIA WIN AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS IN DRAMATIC PENALTY SHOOTOUT
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 13 Feb 2012
Zambia, remembering the members of its team who died in a tragic plane crash in 1993, stunned heavily favored Ivory Coast in a dramatic penalty shootout 8-7 to win the African Cup of Nations.
It was the stars of the English Premier League and the European clubs who faltered when it mattered the most against a Zambian team that played with grim resolve and full of emotion.
Skipper Didier Drogba of Chelsea missed a penalty in regulation when Arsenal?s Gervinho was brought down while both the Arsenal star and Kolo Toure also failed to find the back of the net in the penalty shootout.
The Ivory Coast was given a break when Zambia?s Rainford Kalaba sent his spot kick soaring over the crossbar but in the end Stoppila Sunzu sent his shot ripping into the top corner of the Ivory Coast goal to complete an amazing 8-7 victory which again brought misery to Drogba.
It was the second time the star-studded Ivory Coast squad lost in the finals having succumbed to Egypt also in a penalty shootout in 2006.
The closest Zambia had come to winning the African Cup of Nations was in 1994 when they reached the finals just one year after 18 team members died in a tragic plane crash as they took off from the Gabonese capital.
BBC Sport said that ?En route to the final the current team had spoken of the strength they had gained in remembering that tragedy. And in winning the shoot-out they showed a steely determination to beat their supposedly more illustrious opponents with a performance that was built on an indefatigable spirit.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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