[ 2015-01-23 ]

Zambia 1-2 Tunisia: Captain Chikhaoui scores late winner
Zambia were made to pay for poor finishing as
Yassine Chikhaoui's 89th-minute winner gave
Tunisia a turnaround 2-1 victory.

Honour Janza's side were good value for their lead
after Southampton striker Emmanuel Mayuka broke
the deadlock on the hour in Thursday's Africa Cup
of Nations Group B clash.

But Mayuka and his attacking foil Rainford Kalaba
could not add the crucial second, and Zambia were
punished as Tunisia struck twice in the final 20
minutes in Ebebiyin.

Ahmed Akaichi drew them level, before Chikhaoui
completed an unlikely comeback with a late
header.

The result sees Tunisia take a big step towards
reaching the quarter-finals for the first time
since they won the competition on home soil in
2004.

Both coachea made three changes to the starting
line-ups from their opening games, with Tunisia's
goalscorer in their 1-1 draw with Cape Verde,
Mohamed Ali Moncer, dropping to the bench.

But Tunisia did not appear short of ideas in
attack during the opening minutes.

Akaichi and Wahbi Khazri were worrying Zambia's
defenders with their energy and pressing, and the
latter felt he should have had a third-minute
penalty when the ball popped up off Stophira
Sunzu's arm.

That early impetus was soon wrestled away however,
as Zambia enjoyed more of the ball and created the
better opportunities, albeit from long range.

Captain Kalaba went close on three occasions with
powerful strikes from the edge of the box, one
drawing a wonderful save from Aymen Mathlouthi.

The pressure was building on the Tunisia goal, but
Mathlouthi was again on hand to deny Sunzu.

Kalaba remained the chief threat for Zambia,
always willing to run in behind - and it was
little surprise that it was he who crafted the
breakthrough 14 minutes after the restart.

The skipper controlled a loose ball on the edge of
the box drawing three defenders as he manoeuvred
into a dangerous position before squaring for an
unmarked Mayuka to smash home from six yards.

Mayuka could have doubled his tally three minutes
later, but dragged his shot across goal and wide
when played through one-on-one before then
narrowly missing Kalaba's low cross with the goal
gaping.

And those misses proved costly, as Tunisia
levelled with their first meaningful attack of the
half - Akaichi slotting home a flicked on corner
at the back post, before Chikhaoui's last-gasp
header put them in control of Group B.

Source - Starrfmonline

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