Africa Cup of Nations 2012: Zambia Is Cinderella Team Everyone Wants to Win

There's more to it than rooting for Zambia in the 2012 Africa Cup on Nations because of its 1-0 thrilling upset of Ghana in the semifinals.

Zambia is playing for far more than the title. Zambia is playing for the 25 players and officials who were killed in a plane crash 18 years ago.

And Zambia will be playing at the site of the crash in the final: Libreville, Gabon.

Zambia's coach, Herve Renard, said, via the Associated Press,

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“There’s something written that we have to go to play to honor the memories of the Zambia national team that died in 1993. It was catastrophic for the nation. The 12 million people of Zambia are waiting for us to go back to Libreville. Immediately [after] we arrive, we will go to the place. We just have to think of them and play for them and play for Zambia because it’s a fantastic country.”

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Zambia burst past the favored Ghana on Wednesday after second-half substitute Emmanuel Mayuka scored in the 78th minute, but it was the play of goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene that kept Zambia in the game.

Ghana missed several opportunities to score in the match, including in the eighth minute when striker Asamoah Gyan's spot kick was saved by Mweene.

Renard said, via SI.com,

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"It's amazing. They did something fantastic (in reaching the semifinals), but now they did something amazing.''

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Few truly believed that Zambia could beat Ghana, as much as the world felt for the team. After all, the last time Ghana had reached the tournament's final was in 1994, a year after the disaster.

Now Zambia faces 18th-ranked Ivory Coast in yet another challenge for everyone's favorite Cinderella.

Will Zambia shock the world?

This group already has.