Durban - Champions Zambia must win their last
group game against Burkina Faso in Nelspruit on Tuesday to stand any
chance of reaching the African Nations Cup quarter-finals.
Two below-par performances in
their opening matches have left Zambia with two points and in a tight
corner, where they need victory to leapfrog Group C leaders Burkina Faso
who have four points.
Zambia have shown little of the
form that saw them win the Nations Cup one year ago and even relied on
goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene's 85th-minute penalty against Nigeria to
salvage a draw.
Burkina Faso have emerged as
Zambia's surprise rivals for top billing in Group C after beating
Ethiopia 4-0 in Nelspruit last Thursday.
A draw will be enough to see them
through to the quarter-finals for the first time in their last six
attempts and Alain Traore has recovered from an ankle injury to emerge
as the tournament's top scorer with three goals.
Nigeria, who like Zambia have also
drawn their opening two games, start as favourites to overcome Ethiopia
in the other group match at Rustenburg's Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace.
They
might have been better placed had they not conceded a last-gasp
equaliser to Burkina Faso in their first game, followed by Zambia's
controversial late penalty against them.
Both Ethiopia and Nigeria could be without key players for the games due to injury, said their respective coaches on Monday.
On Monday Ghana and Mali joined Group A teams South Africa and Cape Verde Islands in the quarter-finals.
Ghana topped Group B after beating
Niger 3-0 in Port Elizabeth and Mali went through in second place
following their 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo in
Durban.
Source: Reuters
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