Zambia punished by Feindouno

Pascal Feindouno scored an injury-time winner yesterday to help Guinea to defeat Zambia 2-1 in Group C of the African Nations' Cup. The St Etienne striker's shot smacked against the underside of the bar and just bounced over the line to seal the victory.

Zambia took the lead in the 33rd minute when the captain Elijah Tana scored with a header. But Feindouno gained a 73rd-minute equaliser from the penalty spot after the Zambia goalkeeper Naby Diarso pulled down Fode Mansare.

In the last 15 minutes Zambia fell apart, allowing Guinea to grab all three points in the dying seconds.

Feindouno said: "We had problems in the first half, but we had the courage and quality to win. The penalty was a boost for us and the coach helped us to turn it around."

Zambia, who needed a win to stay in contention for a spot in the quarter-finals after losing 4-1 to Tunisia, started cautiously. Guinea, who beat South Africa 2-0 in their first match, created chances but without really threatening early on.

"It's difficult to swallow the defeat," the Zambia coach Kalusha Bwalya said. "We started well and took the lead, but unfortunately we couldn't sustain it. It's hard for the players, but they should be proud."