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HEAD-TO-HEAD: Zambia's Chisamba Lungu, left, challenges Khalefa Ahmed of Sudan during their Afcon quarter-final match at Bata Stadium yesterday. Zambia won 3-0. Picture by Reuters

Zambia were rarely under pressure and Sunzu took advantage of slack marking to nod them ahead on 15 minutes.

Katongo scored the second midway through the second half and substitute Chamanga added a late third. Sudan had Saif Eldin red-carded 19 minutes into the second half when his team were trailing by one goal.

A tiny crowd dotted the 35000-seat Estadio de Bata in this port city with the biennial African football showcase failing to woo fans in Equatorial Guinea or Gabon except when the co-hosts are playing.

The teams remembered the 74 Egyptians who died after a league match in Port Said last Wednesday by wearing black armbands and observing a minute's silence.

It did not take Zambia long to break the deadlock. They did this through a glancing header from centre-back Sunzu. The side would have been more than 1-0 ahead at half-time save for several brave saves by Akram.

Another Rainford Kalaba free kick nearly led to another goal soon after the half-hour mark as he played the ball back into the path of on-rushing Nathan Sinkala. Akram did well to parry the ball for a corner.

Sudan were slow and predictable and battling to create chances in the eerie atmosphere and lost midfielders Ala Eldin and Nazar through injuries with Amer and Ramadan coming on.

His penalty produced a fine save from Akram. The goalie appeared well off his line when the kick was taken, but the captain struck the rebound into the net with his weaker left foot. Chamanga curled the ball in with four minutes left.

Ivory Coast hammered hosts Equatorial Guinea 3-0 in the other semi-final match.