Walter Nana Wilson, AfricaNews reporter in Buea, Cameroon
Inspirational Gabonese striker, Patrick-Emerick Aubameyang, donning jersey number 9, once more put his country's flag and image on the international spotlight. In Gabon's last Group C match, played Tuesday, at Stade de Franceville, Aubameyang gave Gabon the lead after 62 minutes when he collected a loose ball before wrong footing Tunisia goalkeeper, Rami Jeridi for his third goal of the competition.
Co-hosts Gabon defeated Tunisia 1-0 to finish top of AFCON Group C with a perfect nine points from three matches. The Panthers will play the runners-up in Group D in Libreville on Sunday, while Tunisia, who finished second in the group will face the winners of Group D.
“This was our most difficult game so far against a very good Tunisia team, who dominated the game from start to finish," Gabon coach Gernot Rohr told journalists after the match.
"It was not easy because we were already qualified for the quarterfinals. But thanks to the professional attitude and fighting spirit of the players, we won to finish top of the group," he added.
Tunisia coach Sami Trabelsi said he rested several players; goalkeeper Aymen Mathlouthi, skipper Karim Haggui, Khaled Korbi and Mejdi Traoui because they would have been suspended for the quarterfinals had they been booked.
"We rested some of the players because they have already been booked and we did not wish to risk them before the quarterfinals," said Trabelsi.
"However, those who played showed many good qualities because we played well but we could not win the match," he noted.
In the other Group C game, the Atlas Lions of Morocco wrapped up their 2012 AFCON campaign with a win over the Mena of Niger.
Morocco denied Niger their first ever AFCON point with a 1-0 win in this meaningless closing Group C game.
With both teams already knocked out, pride was the only prize on the table as qualified Gabon and Tunisia faced off in Franceville at the same time.
After Younes Belhanda had earned Morocco a belated first win, coach Eric Gerets said his players had given him the response he was hoping for after getting knocked out with defeats to Gabon and Tunisia.
"We are like a boxer in the ring who gets a kick in the head, he's down but he will stand up and fight again. The crisis after the second game (3-2 defeat to the co-hosts-Gabon) was terrible, but the players stood up and showed the first signs of Tuesday night, that's what I needed to see. My players tried to leave this Nations Cup with their heads held high, having said that our campaign was catastrophic," Gerets admitted.
With 2014 World Cup qualifiers starting in June 2012, the Belgian football trainer confirmed he would not be walking away from his job.
Rolland Courbis, the team consultant who assumed control of the Mena of Niger from manager Harouna Doula Gabde, 2011 CAF Coach, after their destabilising opening loss to Gabon, said Morocco had deserved to win.
Like Gerets a former coach of Marseille, Courbis added: "We didn't attain our objectives so I congratulate those 'experts' who said Niger would finish fourth, we're fourth.
In the last Group D matches to be played today at Stade de Franceville, the Black Stars of Ghana will clash with the Syli Nationale of Guinea to decide who qualifies for the 2012 Orange AFCON quarters.
The Ghanaians need a point to be assured of qualification while Guinea will be in search of maximum points as they try to qualify ahead of Mali, who take Botswana in the other decider.
The Black Stars top the group with six points, with Guinea and Mali tied on three, while Botswana are yet to pick up a point in the first appearance at the tournament.
Should Guinea and Mali emerge victorious it would leave the top three teams on six points each and head-to-head results would have to be considered, which would exclude the results against bottom-of-the-group side Botswana.
Guinea coach Michel Dussuyer says although they have respect for Ghana they are going into the match with nothing but a win in their minds.
"The game against Ghana will be like the final for us. They are a very good side and their track records during the Nations Cup and the World Cup are there to see. They are not only tournament favourites but also they have very good players to trouble any team and we have a lot of respect for them. We must beat Ghana at all costs and we know that cannot be compromised," the Frenchman said at a just concluded pre-match conference in Franceville.
Dussuyer has no problems with injuries and suspensions in his camp and will have a full side to choose from.
For Ghana, captain John Mensah and Hoffenheim defender Isaac Vorsah are free to play after serving out their suspensions, although that leaves the coach, Goran Stevanovic, with a tough decision when selecting his central defence with John Boye also on form.
The two sides last met in 2008 with Ghana winning the match 2-1 thanks to goal from Asamoah Gyan and Sulley Ali Muntari,while Oumar Kalabane scored for Guinea.
Inspirational Gabonese striker, Patrick-Emerick Aubameyang, donning jersey number 9, once more put his country's flag and image on the international spotlight. In Gabon's last Group C match, played Tuesday, at Stade de Franceville, Aubameyang gave Gabon the lead after 62 minutes when he collected a loose ball before wrong footing Tunisia goalkeeper, Rami Jeridi for his third goal of the competition.
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