Goals from Rainford Kalaba and James Chamanga saw Zambia edge past Gabon 2-1 and into their first African Cup of Nations quarter-final for 14 years.

Zambia reached the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations after claiming a 2-1 win over Gabon to finish as winners of Group D, with Cameroon finishing as runners-up, and an unfortunate Gabon slip out of the competition despite finishing on the same points tally as both of the sides above them.

Zambia took the lead after 28 minutes through Kalaba, who had been wasteful up until this point, but he ran onto a delightful through-ball from Felix Katongo to clip the ball neatly beyond Ovono to score. Gabon sought a response, and only Chintu's fine interception prevented Cousin's through-ball reaching Roguy Meye. But it was Zambia who went close to a second as Katongo's free-kick was headed millimetres wide of goal by Sunzu.

Zambia kept up the pressure in the second half, and soon hit the target once more with Chamanga tapping home their second in the 62nd minute following an excellent turn and low cross from Mulenga. But Do Marcolino halved the deficit for Gabon, he'd only been on the pitch five minutes, but was picked out in space inside the box and, though his clumsy control almost saw the chance escape, he found the net via an enormous deflection off Emmanuel Mbola.

Gabon piled on the pressure for the final seven minutes, but Zambia hung on even through the four agonising minutes of stoppage time. Cameroon's 2-2 draw with Tunisia left the Indomitable Lions, Zambia and Gabon level on points, head-to-head record and goal difference but the very unlucky Black Panthers missed out on goals scored.