Hosts Gabon had a disappointing start to their African Cup of Nations campaign on Saturday (January 14) after an equaliser from Juary Soares in the dying moments of the game saw them settle for a draw against Gineau-Bissau. They will now be under a lot of pressure to deliver against Burkina Faso in their second game in Group A at Stade de l'Amitié in Libreville on Wednesday (Jan 18). Cameroon are the fourth side in the group.
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The group is delicately poised at the moment with all the four teams tied at one point from as many games. Burkina Faso also drew Cameroon 1-1 in their opening game. Gabon's task will be cut out against Burkina Faso, who are the highest-ranked side in the group.
Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, who scored against Gineau-Bissau, will be his side's major hope against Burkina Faso as well. The striker will be keen to score more to help his side pick its first win in front of an enthusiastic home crowd.
Besides Aubameyang, midfielders Andre Biyogo Poko and Frederic Bulot will also be required to bring in their club-football experience to see Gabon overcome the challenges. But apart from them, the squad lacks depth and that could limit its chances of success.
The hosts will serve themselves the best if they can pull off a win against Burkina Faso for another draw or a loss could push them on the verge of elimination. Cameroon and Ginea-Bissau will lock horns in the other Group A game on Wednesday and a decisive result in that game would make the equations difficult for Gabon to qualify for the knockouts. However, the host team will do the best by not thinking too much about the points table and concentrate on the game in hand and try to win it.
Having said that, Burkina Faso, the runners-up of the 2013 edition, will also have to play out of their skins to beat Gabon in their den. They did a Gineau-Bissau against Cameroon by equalising late in the game, thanks to Issoufou Dayo. This time, they would like to take an early lead so that too much is not left to be done in the last moment. They could have an answer for Aubameyang in forward Bertrand Traore, who has scored against all opponents. They would also seek confidence from the fact that they are ranked much higher in the FIFA rankings than the hosts (53 to 108).
All in all, it promises to be a thrilling contest with both sides giving their best to fetch the first win of Afcon 2017.
When to Watch Live
Gabon vs Burkina Faso is scheduled for a 9:30pm IST (4:00pm GMT, 11:00am 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, France, US, Canada: TV: Bein Sports. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
