Upset and disappointed

Cote d'Ivoire, who yet again failed to fulfil its favorite's tag at the Africa Cup of Nations, heads back to Abidjan laden down with disappointment, coach Francois Zahoui said.

The top team on the continent was defeated by Zambia 8-7 in a dramatic penalty shoot-out in Sunday's final to revive memories of its 2006 penalty shoot-out defeat to Egypt in Cairo.

The Elephants had come to the 2012 edition with high hopes of atoning for other failures in 2008 and 2010.

But they now head home trophyless, despite having had an opportunity to claim the title in regulation time only for captain Didier Drogba to send a second-half penalty high over the bar.

Zahoui said: "The disappointment is enormous and it's sadness which is the overwhelming sensation. We are very upset tonight. I was anticipating a difficult game, I knew it wasn't going to be a walk in the park.

"We didn't start well but we had occasions like the penalty to kill off the game.

"Then Zambia began to believe. That's football."

Zambia wase driven by its desire to honor the national team wiped out in a 1993 plane crash off the Libreville coast, but Zahoui insisted his side too was hungry to win the title for only the second time after 1992.

"The Zambians had a history but we also wanted to win this Cup.

"We wanted to claim the title because of the difficult situation in the Cote d'Ivoire," said Zahoui.

AFP