AMECEA: Africa Cup of Nation (AFCON) lands in AMECEA Country

A country in AMECEA Region, Zambia for the first time won their African title after beating Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties during the final match of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations played at Stade de l’Amitie in Libreville, Gabon.

Zambia becomes the third AMECEA country in history to win the title. The first country in AMECEA to win the title was Ethiopia in the finals held in Ethiopia in 1962. The second one is Sudan who won the title in 1970 in tournaments held in Sudan. That means for over 40 years AMECEA countries did not win the trophy. In these AFCON finals AMECEA had two countries participating in these tournaments: These are Sudan and Zambia which ended up by crowning Zambia as champion.

The teams had been locked at 0-0 at the Stade d’Angondjé in Libreville at the end of a highly entertaining 120 minutes of football; Zambia had the crowd cheering as their neat passing game left the Elephants second best for the greater part of the first half.

While Cote d’Ivoire was left to contemplate another finals tournament ending in bitter disappointment, unlikely heroes Zambia celebrated joyously just kilometres from the scene of their greatest tragedy – the 1993 air crash which killed 18 members of the Chipolopolo national side off the coast of Gabon.

Sports Minister Chishimba Kambwili said the fallen heroes would always occupy a special place in the hearts of Zambians and thanked Kalusha who was supposed to travel with the 1993 squad, for his continued attachment to the Zambian game.

Captain Christopher Katongo said the Chipolopolo were in Libreville to accomplish the mission which the fallen heroes had started and promised that the squad would do everything possible to win the AFCON trophy.

Zambia were denied by a goal saving timely tackle from Kolo Toure in added time as Mayuka ran onto a delightful ball played in by Chansa. Just as Mayuka was about to shoot Kolo toe-pocked the ball away and the match went into extra time and penalties before Sunzu scored the winning penalty that gave the Southern African side their first title after appearing in their third final.

Present at the final was the Vice President Guy Scott under the mandate given by Zambian President Michael Sata to represent the government. Scott was accompanied to Gabon by Kenneth Kaunda, who led Zambia to independence from Britain in 1964 and was its president for 27 years, and Sata’s predecessor Rupiah Banda. At least two planeloads of football fans took off from Lusaka early on Sunday morning for Libreville.

After finals disappointments in 1974 and 1994, Zambia finally are able to write their name among Africa’s elite.