The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations has reached its most grueling and exciting knockout stage with all remaining eight nations eyeing the prestigious trophy.

Zambia- The Chipolopos
Coach- Herve Renard
Best performance in ACN/CAN- Runners-Up n 1974 and 1994
Strengths- Mweene, Kalaba, Musundo, Chris and Felix Katongo have had previous experience in the competition, attacking style of play

Weaknesses- Few players play in Europe; tensions between the government and the Football Association of Zambia

Sudan- Falcons of Jediane
Coach-Mohamed Abdallah Mazda (Sudan)
Best performance in ACN/CAN- Winners in 1970
Strengths- Some players with Saudi team Al-Hilal and Sudanese team Al-Merreikh are used to large competitions; solid defence
Weaknesses- Failed to score ACN 2008 and conceded nine goals in three matches; many players play in small local leagues; haven't taken part in the competition since 1976

Equatorial Guinea- National Lightning

Coach- Gilson Paulo (Brazil)

Strengths- Home advantage; good match results in 2011

Best performance in CAN/Afcon- First appearance
Weaknesses- No high level experience; media and public pressure; dismissal of previous coach Henri Michel a month ahead of the games

Cote d'Ivoire- The Elephants
Coach- Francois Zahoui (Cote d'Ivoire)
Best performance in ACN/CAN- Winners in 1992

Strengths- Some of the forwards are the best in the world, a successful year in 2011

Weaknesses- Tensions between some of the top players; despite currently having good players they are yet to win

Zambia vs Sudan: Zambian coach, Herve Renard whose side takes on Sudan during the quarter finals of Africa Cup of Nation says people should not be surprised by his charges advancing to the last eight.

Southern Africa's remaining representatives, The Zambian Chipolopolos, ended their group stage battle with seven points, one more than their Group A hosts Equatorial Guinea.

"Well done for Zambia. Maybe it was a surprise for some people but not for us...It was a difficult target; now we have to concentrate and go to the semifinal" Renard told the Zambia media.

Victory over Sudan on Saturday will take Zambia into Afcon/CAN 2012 semi-finals for the first time in 16 years.

Zambia desperately want to win the Cup of Nations for the first time in Gabon, in honour of their 1993 national squad - which perished when a plane carrying them crashed into the Atlantic soon after refueling in Libreville, killing all 30 on passengers on board.

Sudan coach Mohamed Abdalla recognised the danger his team face when he told journalists that "Zambia are very fast - they're well organised, but we have time to prepare tactically and physically for this game,"

This is the first time in 42 years that the horn of Africa country is reaching the quarterfinal stage.

Sudan won the seventh Africa Cup of Nations in 1970 as host, qualified in 1976, then suffered through a 32-year exile before its next trip, a disastrous affair in Ghana in which the Desert Hawks lost all three games and failed to register a single goal.

Equatorial Guinea vs Ivory Coast: Equatorial Guinea, by their standards have done really well to emerge from a competitive looking Group A as runners up to Zambia at the expense of Senegal and Libya. They sealed a quarter final place by winning their first two matches, 1-0 against Libya and 2-1 against Senegal with the winners coming in the dying moments of both games. However, on Saturday they face a star studded Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) who have not conceded a goal so far. Equatorial Guinea's run in the tournament could come to a screeching halt.