Zambia’s strength in unity

What this tournament has shown, more than anything else, is the value of cohesion, of having a well-drilled side that knows its plan.

It may end up being the individual talents of Ivory Coast who prevail, but even they in this tournament have based their play around, as the defender Sol Bamba put it, “keeping the back door shut”.

Their 3-0 weekend win over Equatorial Guinea means they have now scored eight goals without reply in four games in the tournament.