Football
2015 Africa Nations Cup, Group Stage 2015
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PA Sport 9y

Prince Oniangue seals vital win for Congo over Gabon in Nations Cup

Gabon were thwarted in their bid to become the first nation to reach the 2015 African Nations Cup quarterfinals as Congo pulled off a surprise 1-0 victory in Bata.

Jorge Costa's Panthers beat Burkina Faso in their Group A opener and would have sealed their progression to the knockout stages with a second win, but Congo had other ideas.

Prince Oniangue scored the only goal of the game following a defensive mix-up in the 48th minute and it proved enough to secure the Red Devils their first finals triumph since 1974.

Congo, who are coached by Claude Le Roy, move on to four points ahead of their final-round meeting with Burkina Faso while Gabon must regroup and plot the downfall of hosts Equatorial Guinea.

Gabon revealed their determination to reach the last eight in the opening exchanges as Frederic Bulot tested Congo goalkeeper Christopher Mafoumbi with a searing volley from the left flank.

In the 19th minute Malick Evouna fizzed a shot wide of the mark and Andre Biyogo Poko was not far behind him with a left-footed effort that flew over Mafoumbi's crossbar.

Congo did tighten their lines to keep Gabon at bay but Levy Madinda sneaked through in the minutes leading up to half-time and dragged the ball across the goalmouth and wide at the far post.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - the Borussia Dortmund striker - stung Mafoumbi's palms with a free-kick in stoppage time yet Congo had done enough to maintain the stalemate heading into the break.

It came as some surprise, therefore, when they managed to open the scoring following the restart.

A corner from Arnold Bouka-Moutou was badly cleared in the 48th minute and Oniangue thought quickest to stab the ball home from six yards out.

The Reims defender soon forced Didier Ovono Ebang into a punching save before Gabon bit back on the hour mark, Madinda volleying with force but over the bar.

Aaron Appinda Ngoye and Bulot were next to try their luck, to no avail, while Bouka-Moutou responded for Congo by heading over in the 76th minute.

Madinda twice worried Mafoumbi inside the last 10 minutes, first shooting past a post and then finding his gloves with a swerving effort from distance, but Congo had done enough to win all three points.

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