Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric said: “I am delighted football justice has prevailed and we are able to seal an exciting addition to our strike-force. As everybody knows his goalscoring rate is phenomenal and he deserves his chance in the best league in the world.

“He has to be allowed time to settle into his new surroundings but we have now signed seven players and all of them internationals.”

Chief executive Peter Storrie believes Mbesuma can become the long-term successor to Nigerian ace Aiyegbeni Yakubu who was sold to Middlesbrough for £7.5m (€10.9m) at the end of last season after scoring 19 goals in each of his two Premiership campaigns at Fratton Park. He, too, needed to appeal against the rejection a work-permit renewal.

Storrie, who attended the Mbesuma appeal hearing, said: “As in all transfers there is an element of risk and Collins will need a period of adjustment here but he has exceptional talent. The right decision has been made. Yakubu was a risk when he first came here but in reality it did not turn out that way.”

Top clubs all over Europe were said to be chasing Mbesuma. Despite this, he was turned down for an automatic work-permit to play in this country two weeks ago after agreeing a three-year deal with Portsmouth who are understood to have agreed a bargain price of €724,000 for him.

The sticking point was that Zambia, although ranked 62nd in FIFA’s latest lists, have not figured regularly in the top 70 over the last two years. Ironically it is Mbesuma’s goals – he netted a hat-trick in a recent World Cup qualifier against Congo, scoring eight goals in all in five international games - that have propelled them up the rankings table.

And an appeals panel in Sheffield this afternoon ruled he can progress his career with a move to England where he wants to bring his family.

Portsmouth’s French manager Alain Perrin has already signed compatriots Laurent Robert – on loan from Newcastle – and Gregory Vignal plus Irish international Andy O’Brien, Colombian midfielder John Viafara, Norwegian striker Azar Karadas and Dutch goalkeeper Sander Westerveld.

But Mbesuma’s appeal success could stop him pushing through a £2m (€2.9m) move for Norwich midfielder Damien Francis.

Pompey’s chief executive Peter Storrie has indicated that the spending is over for now until a few unwanted players can be moved on but Perrin would like to grab Francis, who pulled out of a friendly match for the Canaries at Colchester on Tuesday.

A deal with Pompey seemed imminent after Francis’s agent, Tony Finnegan, revealed the two clubs were close to agreeing a fee, but Storrie poured cold water on those claims.

Francis admitted he wants to stay in the Premiership but only a reduction in Norwich’s demands for him now look like taking him to Portsmouth, even though they have let Senegal international Diomansy Kamara go to West Brom for the £1.5m (€2.2m) they would have had to pay Italians Modena to keep him an extra season.