Zambia Beats Ivory Coast to Win African Cup Zambia completed a poignant run to its first title at the African Cup of Nations on Sunday, beating Ivory Coast in a shootout in Libreville, Gabon, not far from the site where its national team was wiped out in a 1993 airplane crash. Stophira Sunzu scored the deciding penalty to complete an 8-7 victory in the shootout. Gervinho missed his attempt for Ivory Coast to set up Sunzu for the winner. Ivory Coast's Kolo Touré had missed moments before Gervinho, but Zambia's Kalaba Rainford let him off the hook by sending his attempt over the crossbar. There was a sign of destiny, a force within us. Maybe it was meant to be," Zambia Coach Herve Renard said. I can't explain it, honestly I can't explain it. Something was written in the stars. It was not me. The final went to penalties after several tense moments late in the game. Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba hit the crossbar with a penalty kick in the 70th minute, and Zambia's captain, Christopher Katongo, sent a shot off the post in extra time. "Zambia really believed in their victory," Ivory Coast Coach Francois Zahoui said. What else can I tell you? It's a very big disappointment. The victory set off street celebrations in Zambia's capital, Lusaka. The A.P. reported: Last week after arriving for the finals, Zambia's current players laid flowers on a stretch of sand in Libreville not far from where a Zambian military plane crashed into the ocean soon after takeoff in 1993, killing 25 players and officials on board as well as a state news agency sports reporter and the military transport plane's crew. Back in 1993, state broadcasters interrupted normal programming to announce the crash in the eight languages spoken in Zambia. In Lusaka, the capital, men and women wept in offices and on the streets. On Monday, there were only cheers. "It is a dream come true," said David Phiri, a plumber. Jubilant Zambians also honked the horns of cars draped in their flag, shouted from windows, and sang football songs. "It was written in the stars that we will be the champions," Winfreda Muyunda said breathlessly as she ran out to join a street party that had converged in front of a Lusaka police station. Some women were in their night gowns covered by traditional cotton wrappers known as chitenge, while most men and boys were shirtless. The loss was a bitter one for Ivory Coast, which has not won the tournament since 1992. It did not allow a goal in the tournament, but lost the final when it could not produce one itself before the shootout. It also lost the 2006 final on penalties.