BBC SPORT | Football | African | Zambia in shock Cosafa Cup win

Embattled coach Patrick Phiri introduced the experienced Malaysia-based striker late in the first half for ineffective Zachariah Simukonda, who also plays his club football in the Asian country.

And the move paid rich dividends in the closing stages of the match as Nsofwa set up Dube Phiri for the opening goal after 75 minutes before adding a second 60 seconds from full-time.

It was a record-equalling third success for Chipolopolo in southern Africa's annual competition.

Angola and Zimbabwe have also triumphed three times and South Africa once since its introduction 10 years ago.

Angola, unbeaten in five matches since a narrow loss to Portugal at the World Cup in Germany last June, were favoured although coach Luis Oliviera Goncalves was restricted to local players.

His sizeable contingent of Europe-based stars, including midfielder and captain Paulo Figueiredo, were not released by their clubs because the final did not fall on an official date for international fixtures.

Zambia fared better with Phiri bringing home Nsofwa, Simukonda, several South Africa-based players and veteran defender Elijah Tana, a recent addition to the foreign contingent in the United Arab Emirates.

Tana, sorely missed when Zambia lost at home to South Africa in an African Nations Cup qualifier this month, has featured in five Castle Cup finals and collected three winners' medals.

Zambia won the inaugural edition in 1997, retained the title one year later, and lost to Angola and Zimbabwe in the last two editions of a competition bankrolled by a Johannesburg-based brewery.

The white-kitted Zambians were unrecognisable from the team that surrendered meekly to South Africa, laying siege to the Angolan goalmouth in the early stages before a disappointingly small crowd at Independence Stadium.

Zambia
The win was Zambia's third Cosafa Cup title

Goalkeeper Lama, who has replaced Joao Ricardo as first choice since the World Cup, repeatedly rescued the Palancas Negras as Zambia captain Chris Katongo created havoc with his pace down the right flank.

Lama made a brilliant reflex save from Chris Katongo after six minutes and stopped a low shot by the same player barely a minute later as lively Zambia established an iron grip on midfield.

Phiri should have done better with a far-post chance before Tana drew wild cheers from the largely Zambian crowd with deft defensive work to clear a rare Angolan attack.

It was all Zambia and Felix Katongo, a younger brother of the skipper, dribbled past four opponents only to fire timidly wide to the annoyance of spectators longing for a goal.

Simukonda squandered a great opportunity to break the deadlock and Tana did well at the other end as giant Angolan striker Love cut in and threatened to give his country an undeserved lead.

Love blazed wide when well positioned in the second half before Phiri broke the stalemate by sneaking between two defenders and heading a Nsofwa cross wide of Lama on a partly cloudy afternoon.

The fate of strangely lethargic Angola was sealed when they were caught napping by a sudden counterattack and Nsofwa had plenty of time to tee up a close-range drive that flew into the net.