Zambia wins African Cup after penalty shootout

By Gerald Imray

Associated Press

Published: Sunday, Feb. 12 2012 3:36 p.m. MST

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Zambia's Nyambe Mulenga, left, clears a the ball against Ivory Coast's Cheick Tiote, right, during their African Cup of Nations final soccer match at the Stade de l'Amitie in Libreville, Gabon, Sunday Feb. 12, 2012.

Themba Hadebe, Associated Press

Summary

Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a nerve-racking final at Stade de l'Amitie.

LIBREVILLE, Gabon — Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a nerve-racking final at Stade de l'Amitie.

Stophira Sunzu scored the deciding sudden-death penalty after Gervinho missed his spot kick for Ivory Coast.

It's Zambia's first African title and came, poignantly, in the same city where 18 Zambian internationals died in a plane crash in 1993 in the country's worst sporting disaster.

Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba had missed a 70th-minute penalty for the title favorite to send the dramatic decider to extra time and then a shootout.

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