Last gasp penalty sends Zambia past Tanzania in dramatic Group A Clash

Zambia snatched a dramatic 1-0 victory over Tanzania in a tense TotalEnergies CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations Group A encounter on Tuesday evening thanks to a last-minute penalty converted by Joseph Sabobo deep into stoppage time in Ismailia.

The game looked destined for a draw after both sides battled in an intense, physical contest with few clear-cut chances but Zambia kept pressing until the very end.

The decisive moment arrived in the 11th minute of added time after VAR awarded a penalty when Emmanuel Mutale was fouled in the box by Ismail Ally.

Sabobo stepped up and coolly slotted the spot kick into the bottom left corner, securing all three points for the Young Chipolopolo.

Tanzania had been the more threatening side in stretches of the match, registering multiple shots on target and forcing Zambia’s defence onto full alert.

However, they were unable to break them down and will rue their missed opportunities, particularly from Jammy Simba and Cyprian Kachwele.

The match saw several stoppages for injuries and a flurry of yellow cards, reflecting the high stakes and physical nature of the encounter.

Zambia made three halftime substitutions to inject energy, a move that ultimately paid off as they gained momentum in the latter stages.

The result sees the Southern African nation moving to second place behind Sierra Leone who are in action against South Africa in a later fixture.

Tanzania’s hopes of advancing are all-but done as they remain rooted at the bottom of the group with no points from their three matches.