Zambia have won their first Africa Cup of Nations title by beating favourites Ivory Coast 8-7

in a penalty shoot-out after the game in Libreville ended goalless.

Stoppila Sunzu scored the winning goal for Zambia after goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene saved Kolo Toure’s spot-kick and Gervinho blasted over.

Rainford Kalaba missed for the Zambians.

Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba missed a penalty for his side in the 70th minute on Sunday when he side-footed the ball over the cross-bar.

Zambia dominated the game and should have scored in regulation time but failed to make the most of their chances, with Ivorian goalkeeper Boubacar Barry pulling off a number of excellent saves.

In the penalty shoot-out it was Zambian goalkeeper Mweene who was the hero for his side as he not only saved one penalty, he also scored the fifth for his side.

The Ivorians are the first team not to win the competition even though they did not concede a single goal. They also lost the 2006 final against Egypt on penalties.

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