AFCON: Gambia qualify for first time ever, Gabon also through

Gambia’s Scorpions qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for the first time ever after a slim 1-0 victory over Angola in Banjul on Thursday.

The victory sees Gambia move to 10 points with one round of matches left.

Assan Ceesay scored the lone goal for the Gambians in the 62nd minute to give the Gambians the vital victory.

The feat was another feather to their footballing caps after the recent performance of their Under-20 team in Mauritania.

Meanwhile, Gabon have also booked a ticket to Cameroon after a well worked 3-0 victory over DR Congo at the Stade de la Renovation de Franceville.

Aaron Boupendza, Denis Bouanga and skipper Pierre Emerick Aubameyang scored the goals for The Panthers.

Gabon duly went to the break one goal up after dominating play in the opening 45 minutes and creating most of the goalscoring chances.

Boupendza broke the deadlock for the Gabonese with their first shot on target.

They had been knocking on the DR Congo door from the onset, trying to get that vital goal that would spur them on.

In the eighth minute, Didier Ndong struck a brilliant shot from the edge of the area which went just wide off target, with the Congolese defense caught flat out.

They had another chance two minutes later when Pierre Emerick Aubameyang did well to cut back a cross from the right.

But Denis Bouanga’s low shot hit the outside of the post.

Bouanga, Aubameyang and Mario Lemina were causing all sorts of problems for the DR Congo backline, but that vital goal just never came through.

DR Congo came stronger in the second half as they knew getting a point in the tie will give them a chance in the final game of the group phase.

They had a chance four minutes after the break, but Ben Malango’s header from a Jordan Botaka cross went over.

They were however deflated in the 72nd minute when Bouanga broke the offside trap off an Aubameyang pass before hitting low past the goalkeeper.

Aubameyang had a goal for himself four minutes to the final whistle to seal Gabon’s place in Cameroon.