AS THE AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS IS COMING TO AN END, ZAMBIA AND COTE D'IVOIRE WILL BATTLE IN THE GRAND FINAL IN GABON TO DECIDE WHO WILL BE THE AFRICAN CHAMPION ON SUNDAY, FEB.12,2012.
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Zambians hail final qualification as 'greatest moment'
and manager after talks with FA chairman David Bernstein at Wembley
Meanwhile, the Black Stars were taken to extra-time in Franceville on Sunday - and only arrived in Bata on Monday.
"In terms of regeneration it is good for us, as we have three days (of rest) before this semi-final," said Renard.
Zambia beat the Sudanese 3-0 in regulation time , whereas Ghana needed extra-time to win their tense quarter-final against the Carthage Eagles in Gabon.
So while the West Africans were flying from eastern Gabon through to Bata, the Zambian squad was busy preparing for Wednesday's game.
"We got rest on Sunday, while we trained (on Monday)," Renard told BBC Sport.
The teams kick off Wednesday's semi-finals in the Equatoguinean city Bata - for the right to play the final against either Ivory Coast or Mali, who clash in Libreville later that same day.
With the Black Stars widely-fancied before the tournament, Renard - who worked as assistant coach for Ghana at the 2008 Nations Cup - says that his side have nothing to lose ahead of their semi-final clash.
"We don't have any pressure - we want to beat Ghana to get to the final," said Renard.
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Caf has announced that the kick-off time for Sunday's 2012 Africa Cup of Nations final will delay by 30 minutes due to “technical and logistical reasons”.
Zambia and Cote d'Ivoire were scheduled to play the final at 19:00 GMT in Libreville, but the continental football governing body has moved it to 19:30 GMT.
The statement did not give any reason for the delay, other than to refer to technical and logistic reasoning.
Zambia defeated pre-tournament favourites Ghana to make it to the final while the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire beat Mali to book their ticket.
The southern Africans will be looking to clinch their first ever continental trophy, but it will be the second for the west Africans who first earned the title in 1992.
The final will be played on Sunday in Libeville and will be preceded by the Black Stars and the Mali third and fourth place play-off duel on Saturday. 
With the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations merely a day away, Ivory Coast international Gervinho has highlighted the similarities between his club, Arsenal, and his national team.
Connections between the Gunners and the west African nation date back to 1993 with Jean-Marc Guillou’s founding of Abidjan’s illustrious football academy, but the prime example of their similarities that Gervinho cited has to do with a lack of trophies for both club and country.
"The Ivory Coast are like Arsenal. The Ivory Coast have not won a trophy since 1992. We’ve got good players and every time we approach a tournament, we say we are going to win it and then we miss out,” he told the Daily Mail.
“This year I would really like to win with both Arsenal and Ivory Coast. I am going to win a trophy this year.”
While the wait hasn’t been quite as long for the north Londoners, who lifted their last silverware in 2005, the 24-year-old’s determination to win a title this season is abundantly clear.
Gervinho added that the Arsenal and Cote d’Ivoire link doesn’t stop there, as it was the Abidjan academy founder who gave his current manager, Arsene Wenger, his assistant coaching start at Cannes in 1983.
He added: “When I went to the academy, we watched Arsenal because of Guillou’s connection with Arsene. He knows Arsene well and his academy had the same philosophy as Arsenal.
"Arsenal have always been a dream of mine and I always thought one day I would go there.".
With African giants Egypt out of the competition and plenty of other traditional powerhouse teams absent, the skilful winger and his Elephants have an excellent opportunity to make Ivorian dreams come true at the 2012 Afcon.
Many have called this the moment of truth for the Ivory Coast’s golden generation.
Cote d'Ivoire and Mali went head-to-head in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals, and it was the Elephants who emerged on top, winning 1-0 in Libreville on Wednesday.
Egypt have sent an official request to the Confederation of African Football (Caf) for the Pharaoh’s 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier against the Central African Republic to be postponed.
There is ongoing unrest in the country following the Port Said tragedy that resulted in the deaths of at least 74 people last week. The fixture is currently set for February 29 in Bangui.
News of the request was posted on the Egyptian Football Association’s (EFA) official website.
Given that the entire board was dismissed by the Egyptian government, the request has emanated from the executive office of the EFA and not from Samir Zaher or his associates who are under investigation for their possible roles in the Port Said events.
Nevertheless, a Bob Bradley led training camp is still scheduled to begin next week. Players from Al-Ahly will not be part of the squad as the club continues to cope with the fallout from their match against Al Masri.
Two friendlies were originally meant to be played to prepare for the upcoming qualifier but Egyptian authorities have yet to give their approval for them to take place.
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'Difficult final'
Bright future?
Eq Guinea's Doe sees Nations Cup as a stepping stone
| Upcoming Matches | |||||||||
| Third Place | 11 Feb | Ghana | Mali | Head 2 Head | |||||
| Final | 12 Feb | Zambia | Côte d'Ivoire | Head 2 Head | |||||
Zambians hail final qualification as 'greatest moment'
Zambia captain Christopher Katongo has hailed his side's progression to the Africa Cup of Nations final as their "greatest moment".
The Chipolopolo qualified for the final, in the Gabonese capital Libreville on Sunday, by beating favourites Ghana 1-0 in Bata.
The win sets up an emotional return to Gabon, off whose coast 18 Chipolopolo players died in a plane crash in 1993.
"We have to take this cup, this is an opportunity," Katongo said.
"This is the greatest moment ever a player can have to play in the final.
Continue reading the main story
“Obviously when we saw that the final is going to be in Gabon, we said this is our time, because that's where our brothers died”Zambian midfielder Isaac Chansa
"It doesn't come every day."
Zambian midfielder Isaac Chansa, meanwhile, said he and his team-mates believe this year's competition is theirs to win, given the symbolism attached to reaching a final in Gabon.
"When we started our [training] camp back in South Africa, we started talking about [the tragedy of 1993] and we told each other that we think this is our cup," Chansa told the BBC.
"Obviously when we saw that the final is going to be in Gabon, we said this is our time, because that's where our brothers died.
"We think about that every time and we go on the pitch and give our best and give the people back home what they deserve."
Zambia's Emmanuel Mayuka came off the bench to score his side's late winner to shock the highly-fancied Ghana and help the Chipolopolo to their third Nations Cup final appearance.
It followed Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan's missed penalty in the first-half, which Zambia goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene palmed away to safety.
Black Stars captain John Mensah apologised to the Ghanaian people, meanwhile, for his team's defeat.
"We are sorry for the whole of Ghana for what happened today," Mensah said.
"It's unlucky that we lost this game.
"We promise them we will come back strongly next year [in the 2013 Cup of Nations in South Africa]."
Zambia will play Ivory Coast in the final on Sunday, after the Elephants beat Mali 1-0 in Libreville in the other semi-final on Wednesday.and manager after talks with FA chairman David Bernstein at Wembley
Zambia coach Herve Renard buoyed by extra day's rest
Zambia coach Herve Renard believes his side will hold a crucial advantage going into Wednesday's Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against Ghana.
The Zambians have been in Bata since last Tuesday and beat Sudan in Saturday's quarter-final there. Meanwhile, the Black Stars were taken to extra-time in Franceville on Sunday - and only arrived in Bata on Monday.
"In terms of regeneration it is good for us, as we have three days (of rest) before this semi-final," said Renard.
Zambia beat the Sudanese 3-0 in regulation time , whereas Ghana needed extra-time to win their tense quarter-final against the Carthage Eagles in Gabon.
So while the West Africans were flying from eastern Gabon through to Bata, the Zambian squad was busy preparing for Wednesday's game.
"We got rest on Sunday, while we trained (on Monday)," Renard told BBC Sport.
The teams kick off Wednesday's semi-finals in the Equatoguinean city Bata - for the right to play the final against either Ivory Coast or Mali, who clash in Libreville later that same day.
With the Black Stars widely-fancied before the tournament, Renard - who worked as assistant coach for Ghana at the 2008 Nations Cup - says that his side have nothing to lose ahead of their semi-final clash.
"We don't have any pressure - we want to beat Ghana to get to the final," said Renard.
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Panoramic
Zambia and Cote d'Ivoire were scheduled to play the final at 19:00 GMT in Libreville, but the continental football governing body has moved it to 19:30 GMT.
The statement did not give any reason for the delay, other than to refer to technical and logistic reasoning.
Zambia defeated pre-tournament favourites Ghana to make it to the final while the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire beat Mali to book their ticket.
The southern Africans will be looking to clinch their first ever continental trophy, but it will be the second for the west Africans who first earned the title in 1992.
The final will be played on Sunday in Libeville and will be preceded by the Black Stars and the Mali third and fourth place play-off duel on Saturday.
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Connections between the Gunners and the west African nation date back to 1993 with Jean-Marc Guillou’s founding of Abidjan’s illustrious football academy, but the prime example of their similarities that Gervinho cited has to do with a lack of trophies for both club and country.
"The Ivory Coast are like Arsenal. The Ivory Coast have not won a trophy since 1992. We’ve got good players and every time we approach a tournament, we say we are going to win it and then we miss out,” he told the Daily Mail.
“This year I would really like to win with both Arsenal and Ivory Coast. I am going to win a trophy this year.”
While the wait hasn’t been quite as long for the north Londoners, who lifted their last silverware in 2005, the 24-year-old’s determination to win a title this season is abundantly clear.
Gervinho added that the Arsenal and Cote d’Ivoire link doesn’t stop there, as it was the Abidjan academy founder who gave his current manager, Arsene Wenger, his assistant coaching start at Cannes in 1983.
He added: “When I went to the academy, we watched Arsenal because of Guillou’s connection with Arsene. He knows Arsene well and his academy had the same philosophy as Arsenal.
"Arsenal have always been a dream of mine and I always thought one day I would go there.".
With African giants Egypt out of the competition and plenty of other traditional powerhouse teams absent, the skilful winger and his Elephants have an excellent opportunity to make Ivorian dreams come true at the 2012 Afcon.
Many have called this the moment of truth for the Ivory Coast’s golden generation.
Cote d'Ivoire 1-0 Mali: Arsenal striker Gervinho fires Elephants into Afcon final at expense of valiant Eagles
The Elephants have earned a spot in the 2012 Afcon final with a win over the Eagles in their last four encounter
Cote d'Ivoire and Mali went head-to-head in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals, and it was the Elephants who emerged on top, winning 1-0 in Libreville on Wednesday.
A first-half goal from Arsenal star Gervinho was enough to decide the match in favour of the tournament favourites, and set up a clash with Zambia in Sunday's final.
The early exchanges were marred by aggressive play and fouls from both sets of players, setting the tone for what would be a rough and physical encounter. The Elephants had a great chance to take the lead on five minutes as a cross from the right wing found the head of captain Didier Drogba, but his glancing effort bounced up and onto the post, saving the Malians some early blushes.
Drogba continued to be a thorn in Mali's side, and a few minutes later his long range strike almost beat keeper Soumbeyla Diakite, who was fortunate to have the ball bounce off his face and out for a corner.
Cote d'Ivoire continued to pile on the pressure and in the 16th minute African Player of the Year Yaya Toure found space in the box and cracked a bullet at goal, but the ball hit the woodwork once again.
A few minutes later the Eagles had their first real threatening chance of the game, as the Malian attacking pair of Mustapha Yatabare and Cheick Diabate troubled the Ivorian defence. But keeper Boubacar Barry was able to control the situation and unleash a counterattack that led to Salomon Kalou's surging run, which allowed him to round Diakite before hitting the side netting from a tight angle.
The early intensity began to calm down, but still the Elephants created a fair amount of attacking opportunities, including a 31st minute effort from Drogba, who shook off two defenders before shooting diagonally across the goal, but slightly wide of the target.
Cote d'Ivoire ended the first period in the best possible way, as Gervinho found the opener on the 45th minute. He collected the ball on the edge of his own half, showing incredible pace, skill and control to run half the length of the pitch before beating Diakite on his far post and slotting in the goal.
The second half began at a slower pace, with much of the action involving tackles in the midfield as both sides tried to maintain possession. In the 65th minute Cote d'Ivoire had a good chance to extend their lead with Kalou cracking a shot from just outside the box, but Diakite was equal to the strike, getting a hand up and tipping it over the bar.
In the 73rd minute Yatabare came close to equalising for the Eagles, but his powerful attempt rose above the intended target. Cote d'Ivoire were still to concede a goal in the tournament, and their defence did well to frustrate Mali on a few counterattacking occasions.
A few minutes later tired Malian legs were showing as Drogba went for a run down the right wing before cutting in and aiming for his 11th Afcon goal, but the outstretched legs of Diakite were enough to keep Mali within reach of an equaliser.
With three minutes remaining in the match Mali had a free kick from distance, but the Eagles were suffering the effects of a two-hour quarter-final against Gabon, and the effort was easily blocked and cleared.
The Ivorians had lost four of their six semi-final appearances at previous Afcon competitions before this match, but after a dominant display in this match they were able to improve that statistic, ending the match with a 1-0 victory.
The result sends Cote d'Ivoire into the final of the 2012 Afcon, where they will face Zambia on Sunday following the Chipolopolo's 1-0 semi-final victory over Ghana in Wednesday's earlier match. Mali will have the third place playoff to content against the Black Stars on Saturday.
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Egypt request postponement of 2013 Afcon qualifier against Central African Republic
The executive office of Egypt’s football governing body have asked Caf to postpone their 2013 Afcon qualifier due to the unrest in the country following the Port Said tragedy
There is ongoing unrest in the country following the Port Said tragedy that resulted in the deaths of at least 74 people last week. The fixture is currently set for February 29 in Bangui.
News of the request was posted on the Egyptian Football Association’s (EFA) official website.
Given that the entire board was dismissed by the Egyptian government, the request has emanated from the executive office of the EFA and not from Samir Zaher or his associates who are under investigation for their possible roles in the Port Said events.
Nevertheless, a Bob Bradley led training camp is still scheduled to begin next week. Players from Al-Ahly will not be part of the squad as the club continues to cope with the fallout from their match against Al Masri.
Two friendlies were originally meant to be played to prepare for the upcoming qualifier but Egyptian authorities have yet to give their approval for them to take place.
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15:36The Black Stars’ captain says that they will come back stronger next year at the competition in South Africa -
15:31The Elephants keeper tells Goal.com about the attitude that helped his side triumph over the Eagles in Wednesday’s 2012 Afcon semi-final played in Libreville
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18:54Goal.com rates the players on show as the Copper Bullets defeat the Black Stars to earn a place in the Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday -
18:41The Brazilian football legend has arrived in Gabon to take part in the final of the 2012 Afcon on Sunday - 18:01The Chipolopolo have booked their ticket for the 2012 Afcon final after proving more efficient than their Ghanaian opposition
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16:40Goal.com looks at some of the high profile players who have missed spot-kicks in crucial Africa Cup of Nations matches, costing their teams victory when it mattered the most
Tuesday, 7 February 2012
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18:13The Chelsea’s talisman tells Goal.com that it’s a mistake to say the Elephants are a superior side compared to the Eagles, ahead of their 2012 Afcon semi-final clash -
12:51While the favourites may have made it through to the semi-finals, top tipster Adam Bate can see Zambia causing an upset when they take on Ghana. -
08:51The Blues' talismanic forward praised his team-mates for putting up a strong fight in the continental showpiece, leading them to the semi-final stage
 | | Rangers are waiting to hear whether Gabon captain Daniel Cousin is eligible to re-sign for the Scottish club. |
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'Difficult final' Ivory Coast say they will not underestimate Zambia in Cup final
Bright future? Eq Guinea's Doe sees Nations Cup as a stepping stone
 Reign over North Africa's hold on the Africa Cup of Nations is finally over  Siasia's vow Former Nigeria coach pledges to bounce back from setbacks |
 2012 Nations Cup Fixtures and tables for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations |
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