Zambia climbed from fourth place to first in Group D after their 2-1 win over Gabon at the African Cup of Nations. The win puts them through to the quarterfinals and a match-up with Nigeria.
Gabon, who entered the match alone atop Group D, finishes tied on points with Zambia and Cameroon but miss out on the quarterfinals on the goals scored tiebreaker. Where each team in the group finished with even goal differences, Gabon finishes third having only scored two goals. Zambia and Cameroon each scored five.
The fourth of Zambia’s tournament goals came in the match’s 28th minute when Rainford Kalaba chipped an on-coming Didier Onovo, finishing Feliz Katongo’s pass to put the Chipolopolo up, 1-0.
It was the first goal Gabon had allowed in the Cup of Nations.
Gabon struggled to build attacks, with their entries into the attacking third often cut-off or poorly executed.
Before Gabon could solve their problems, Zambia found a second goal, with Jacob Mulenga’s cross finding James Chamanga for what would be the winning goal.
Gabon made a late push thanks to a goal from substitute Fabrice Do Marcolino (and a deflection off Zambia defender Emmanuel Mbola) and a series of direct kick changes at the match’s end, but an intent Zambian defense held, moving Zambia out of Round 1 for the first time since 1994.
Despite getting four points from Cameroon and Tunisia, Gabon was eliminated from the tournament, leaving the Black Panthers to look toward the 2012 tournament, when they will be co-hosts.
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