Hosts Gabon are yet to win their first match of the Africa Cup of Nations 2017 and wil need to beat a strong Cameroon in their final game in Group A to be played at Stade de l'Amitié, Libreville, on Sunday (January 22). Gabon drew with Guinea-Bissau and Burkina Faso (both ended at 1-1) in their first two games and will be under a lot of pressure to do well in front of the home crowd.
Four-time champions Cameroon, on the other hand, are sitting at the top of the group with four points but will not spare any effort to win their last game as well. The group is still wide open with any two of the four teams capable of making the knockout stages.
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Given the significance of the game, both teams are expected to give their all to clinch the three points at stake. Burkina Faso, who also have two points like Gabon, can spoil either of their chances by winning against Guinea-Bissau, who is placed at the bottom of the table at the moment but can still qualify. Burkina Faso and Guinea-Bissau will take on each other at the Stade de Franceville, Franceville, at the same time on Sunday.
Coming back to Gabon -- the hosts will need to fire as a unit, which has not been the case so far. They have been good in phases, but have lacked consistency, especially in the offence. Both of Gabon's goals in Afcon 2017 have been scored by Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. They will have to do without Mario Lemina, who has been ruled out of the competition due to an injury.
Manager Jose Antonio Camacho, a former Spanish footballer who did not take control of the African side much before the tournament started, was however in a positive mood ahead of the crucial game.
"We had several chances, but we did not convert them though the players gave their best and attacked piling pressure on Burkina Faso. We had hoped for a win but it did not come. I know the frustrations from our fans but we hope to atone despite having a tough fixture against Cameroon," SuperSport quoted Camacho as saying.
"I am optimistic we will qualify for the quarterfinals even though a lot of pundits have written us off after the draw. As a coach, I have to keep on encouraging and motivating my players to keep the focus and work hard on the pitch."
Cameroon, on the other, might have not reached their best still. They are playing in this competition without some of their key players who decided to give the Africa Cup of Nations a miss. Ye, the team is on the verge of the quarter-finals and even a draw against Gabon would do them a favour.
Manager Hugo Broos was pleased with his team's show in their last encounter against Guinea-Bissau which they came back from behind to win 2-1. Broos will expect his team to produce the same football on Sunday.
"The bond this team has is really strong. There was character and determination as they kept on fighting even when they were a goal down in the first half and you could see the anger they had in the end when they finished off the game in style. I am really proud of my players. I said we were taking each game as it was and that's what happened," Broos said.
Where to watch live
Cameroon vs Gabon Afcon 2017 match is scheduled for a 12:30am IST (7:00pm GMT, 2:00pm ET) start. Live Streaming and TV information:
India: TV: No live coverage.
Africa: TV: SuperSport6 Africa. Live Streaming: SuperSport live video.
UK: TV: EuroSport 1 UK. Live Streaming: EuroSport Player.
Australia, Canada, US: TV: Bein Sports. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
