Zim, Zambia in Cosafa final

ZAMBIA MTNFOOTBALL Bronson Chama netted the winning penalty as Zambia ran out 5-3 winners against South Africa to book their ticket to the final of the Cosafa Cup following a goalless draw after 120 minutes at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium. The Chipolopolo will meet Zimbabwe in the final, while Bafana Bafana will play against Lesotho for the bronze medal. The fixture presented itself as one of Africa's great derbies in which the hosts, Zambia, were looking to reach their sixth final in the last seven tournaments. Zambia exuded pace from the first whistle and they caused some worrying moments in Bafana's defence when Tshepo Gumede failed to clear the ball first time. He needed a second attempt to beat the ball out of the box in the fourth minute. Herve Renard's men did put the ball into the back of the net in the 12th minute after a tap-in by Festus Mbewe. It did not stand, however, as the referee adjudged him to have fouled Wayne Sandilands during his attempt. Ten minutes later Thulani Hlatshwayo had to be on guard when he was called into action in clearing Bornwell Mwape's snapshot on the left side of the box- the Ajax Cape Town defender pushing the ball out for a corner. Then, in the 26th minute, Katlego Mashego supplied a superb free-kick to Ruzaigh Gamildien in the box. The Bloemfontein Celtic man headed it narrowly wide of the far post, but, regardless of what could have come from it, it was flagged offside. South Africa were put on the defensive for the majority of the half, and they were lucky not to go a goal behind when Mbewe tried to get goal side of Gumede. After the restart, Sandilands smothered Mukuka Mulenga's free-kick at the near post, before he witnessed Mwape's long range powerful set-piece get deflected over his crossbar. Gamildien should have made it 1-0 to South Africa on the stroke of the hour, as he flung the rebounded ball, which hit the post off a corner kick, disappointingly over the crossbar. The visitors were living life dangerously as the game approached its final 15 minutes, as they were continuously pegged back by Zambia's flurry of corner kicks. In the 81st minute the perfect opportunity to put South Africa in the lead was wasted by Lerato Chabangu. The Moroka Swallows player received the ball off a cross by Mandla Masango, but he failed to put it between the goalkeeper and post as he struck the woodwork. A similar event happened to Zambia five minutes later when they also hit the woodwork after Kondwani Mtongo's volley, off a free-kick, struck the goal frame as well. Following a goalless 90 minutes, the game was forced into 30 minutes of extra-time. The shootout was all even up until South Africa's third kick when Chabangu was denied from the spot by Munyau's gloves. Chongo and Mashaba converted their respective efforts and it was up to the Zambian skipper Chama to net the winning penalty. He did so with ease as Zambia came out 5-3 winners.