Capsule for the African Cup of Nations Final

A look at Sunday’s African Cup of Nations final between Ivory Coast and Zambia on Sunday:

Road to the Final

Ivory Coast

W: Sudan 1-0

W: Burkina Faso 2-0

W: Angola 2-0

W: Equatorial Guinea 3-0 (QF)

W: Mali 1-0 (SF)

Zambia

W: Senegal 2-1

D: Libya 2-2

W: Equatorial Guinea 1-0 (1st Group A)

W: Sudan 3-0 (QF)

W: Ghana 1-0 (SF)

Recap

As Africa’s top-ranked team, Ivory Coast is expected to end a 20-year wait for a second continental title and it will be a big surprise if the team doesn’t triumph at Stade de l’Amitie. Powered into the final on the back of five straight wins without conceding a goal, following on from its perfect run in qualifying.

With captain Didier Drogba in form and leading from the front, and fellow stars Gervinho and Yaya and Kolo Toure also impressive, a first triumph after disappointing failures over the last two decades is within reach. The convincing win over co-host Equatorial Guinea in the quarterfinals proved it is capable of matching the pre-tournament hype, although the team has been happy to grind out results, too.

In Words: “You might be from Barcelona or Arsenal or Chelsea or Manchester, but the national team is the highest level you will ever reach, so you should be determined … People do expect victories of you.”—Ivory Coast coach Francois Zahoui asks his big-name players to give everything for the national cause.

Twice the losing finalist, Zambia’s players have been inspired to go one better this time by a tragic plane crash here 19 years ago that killed 18 members of the national squad and seven federation officials. The 1993 disaster off the coast of Libreville robbed Zambia of one of its best-ever teams and provided the 2012 group with a poignant motivator on its return to the Gabon capital.

The team is much happier with flamboyant French coach Herve Renard back in charge after a spell under Italian Dario Bonetti. Topped Group A with wins over Senegal and co-host Equatorial Guinea and a draw against Libya and then swept into the final on a wave of emotion, beating Sudan in the quarters and highly rated Ghana in the semis.

In Words: “We are not the favorite one more time but it will be very difficult to beat us. They know that.”—Zambia coach Herve Renard.

Recent African Cup Matchups

Zambia 1, Ivory Coast 0, Sousse (Tunisia), 1994

Ivory Coast 1, Zambia 0, extra time, Dakar (Senegal), 1992

Overall (all competitions)

Zambia 4 wins, Ivory Coast 1

Leading Scorers at 2012 African Cup

Ivory Coast: Didier Drogba (3 goals)

Zambia: Christopher Katongo, Emmanuel Mayuka (3)