AFCON 2015: Congo Shock Gabon, Burkina Faso Stumble Again
BBC Sport – Africa
21 January 2015
Congo Brazzaville pulled off a surprise 1-0 victory over Gabon on Wednesday in Bata, throwing Group A of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations wide open.
Prince Oniangué scored the only goal of the game early in the second half, capitalising on a poor defensive clearance to fire past goalkeeper Didier Ovono. The result puts Claude Le Roy’s Congo side top of the group with four points, while Gabon remain second with three.
Earlier in the day, tournament hosts Equatorial Guinea were held to a goalless draw by Burkina Faso — the first 0-0 result of the competition.
It was a disappointing performance from Burkina Faso, the 2013 runners-up, who dominated possession but failed to convert their chances. Alain Traoré, who had several opportunities, struggled with accuracy and composure. Despite the efforts of attacking trio Jonathan Pitroipa, Bertrand Traoré, and Aristide Bancé, the Stallions once again lacked cutting edge in the final third.
At the other end, Emilio Nsue, scorer of the tournament’s opening goal, threatened sporadically for Equatorial Guinea but was kept in check by a well-organised Burkinabé defence led by Bakary Koné.
The result leaves Burkina Faso bottom of the group with just one point from two games. Even a win in their final match against Congo may not be enough to secure a quarter-final spot.
“We missed several chances again, like against Gabon. Our problem right now is finishing,” admitted coach Paul Put after the game.
“If we create chances, it means the team is playing well, but we have to finish the plays.”
Meanwhile, Equatorial Guinea maintain an unbeaten record in the tournament and remain firmly in contention. With two points from two matches, a win against Gabon in their final group fixture would take them to five points and potentially into the last eight — a scenario reminiscent of their 2012 run to the quarter-finals on home soil.
Group A standings after Matchday 2:
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Congo – 4 pts
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Gabon – 3 pts
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Equatorial Guinea – 2 pts
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Burkina Faso – 1 pt
All eyes now turn to Sunday, January 25, when the final group matches will determine who advances. Can Congo build on their momentum? Will the hosts make another fairytale run? Or is this the end of the road for Burkina Faso?
