Hosts Gabon knocked out of AFCON

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s missed opportunity cost Gabon as the host nation was knocked out of the African Nations Cup (Getty Images)

TALISMAN Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missed an open goal early on as hosts Gabon were dumped out of the 2017 African Nations Cup finals following a 0-0 draw with Cameroon in Libreville on Sunday.

Gabon become the fourth host nation in the 60-year history of the continental championship to bow out in the pool phase, after Tunisia (1994), Ivory Coast (1984) and Ethiopia (1976).

The draw, followed by a 2-0 win for Burkina Faso over Guinea-Bissau, means Gabon finished third in the pool, behind the Burkinabe, who top the group, and Cameroon. 

Gabon made an excellent start to the game and should have been ahead inside four minutes when Aubameyang simply had to direct the ball over the line at the back post from a yard out.

But he somehow produced one of the greatest misses in Nations Cup history, a bitter irony for Gabonese fans considering he is viewed as the best striker in African football at present.

That seemed to deflate him and he spent the remainder of the match looking disinterested and coming second in every challenge.

It took until the final minute of injury-time for Gabon to unduly trouble the Cameroon defence, while the Indomitable Lions were clearly happy with their point that they new would take them into the knockout stages.

Denis Bouanga struck the post for the home side in the 94^th minute, and Serge Kevyn rifled the ball goalwards from the rebound, but Cameroon keeper Fabrice Ondoa produced a remarkable save.

Cameroon have now set up a Last 8 meeting with Senegal on Saturday.

Meanwhile in Franceville, Prejuce Nakoulma and Bertrand Traore saw Burkina Faso claim a routine win over minnows Guinea-Bissau to book their quarterfinal spot.

They will await the second-placed side in Group B that will be decided on Monday, but it looks as thougb Tunisia could take that berth. kickoff.com