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Report - African Cup of Nations -

Article published the Monday 13 February 2012 - Latest update : Monday 13 February 2012

CAN - Copper Bullets shoot down the Elephants

Dancers perform during the closing ceremony of the Africa Cup of Nations before the final match between Zambia and Côte d'Ivoire

Reuters/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

By Paul Myers

More than five things we learned about the final:

That it was the chronicle of a victory foretold. On paper Côte d’Ivoire are Africa ’s top ranked team. But they were up against a Zambia side powered by the souls of 18 Zambian players who died nearly 19 years ago in a plane crash just outside Libreville airport.
Many of the Ivorians were not on the pitch. Saloman Kalou was ineffectual. Yaya Touré, the reigning African players of the year, was substituted with extra time beckoning. Didier Drogba missed a penalty and Gervinho failed to deliver. And many others in the team roamed the field as if in a haze.
Belief is a massive factor in football. The Zambians weren’t freaked out by taking on Côte d’Ivoire. Rather they saw it as a huge challenge. Coach Hervé Renard made them believe that the final was there to win. Effervescent skipper Chris Katongo transmitted the message to his teammates with his feisty displays. And there was no lack of skill too. Seeing him go down the right wing in the opening minutes trying a couple of stepovers was exhilarating. The rest of the final was flicks, feints and body swerves as the whole team joined the party.
Dossier: Africa Cup of Nations 2012
A Côte d’Ivoire coach, whether it is François Zahoui or someone else, needs to dismantle the so-called golden generation. Their story is one of failure at the moment of fulfilment. Fresh blood, untainted by the setbacks in 2006, 2008, 2010 and Sunday night, needs to be pumped in.
That we can break with tradition. As followers of this review will know we tend to eschew the use of nicknames because it leads to strained analogies, but as the Zambians are affectionately known as the Chipolopolo – the Copper Bullets and the Ivorians as the Elephants … how’s this? The Copper Bullets shot down the Elephants in Libreville on Sunday night. We, unlike the Ivorians, can’t miss a sitter.
When it’s your tournament, it’s your tournament. Zambia came in with the goal of at least reaching the quarter finals and maybe going one better. But in taking the cup back to Zambia for the first time, they’ve beaten Senegal, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire – three teams who were deemed likelier winners. In the final the Zambians won the penalty shoot-out …after 18 shots at goal.