Round 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations 2021 began this afternoon with a clash between Gabon and Burkina Faso.
Burkina Faso has become the first side to seal a place in the last eight of the competition after kicking out Gabon on penalty shootout.
Gabon went into the game without their star Pierre Emerick Aubameyang who has been absent from the team since day one of the tournament due to COVID-19 as well as Lemina.
During the first 10 minutes of the game Gabon dominated from all angles in search of a goal but the Stallions calmly studied the game and stepped in for control after the 10th minute which resulted into penalty reward at the 17th minute after a push inside the penalty area of the Panthers.
Aston Villa’s Bertrand Traoré took the penalty and sent it over the crossbar, thus drowning out the goal shout.
Gabon tried twice inside the box during the 23rd minute to smash the lead but both attempts were timely blocked by the opponent.
The Stallions geared up their style of play with a build up from their own half, head towards the half of the Panthers with counter-attack which was connected by Bertrand Traoré from a long-range. His through ball hits the post before bending post crossing the goal line.
Aaron-Salem Boupendza had equalizer, but he started from an advanced position which was already penalized, denied as an off side.
Burkina Faso maintained the lead for the first 45 plus 2 additional minutes.
The two sides return into an action with bouncy tackle in the second half.
As the game goes on, Gabon unexpectedly went down with ten men after Obissa received a second yellow card of the match and was consequently sent off.
Burkina Faso did not want to secure the victory and kept on missing their chances inside the box.
The Panthers never got disappointed after the red card, tightened up the performance as Manga gets his head the corner, it seems to strike the back of Guira and into the bottom corner and took the game into an extra time.
The Stallions began the additional thirty minutes with a challenge to restore the lead, making their extra numbers count for a second goal but Sanogo didn’t time his run well and was clearly offside as the ball was threaded through to him.
Amazingly, the West African’s had a chances to stretch the lead and really caused Gabon problems but there was no luck for that.
The second extra time began with both sides fighting to drive for success.
Majestically, goalkeepeer Amanome was full of his position to make sensational saves to keep Gabon in the game.
The chance to stretch the win at the extra time was squandered and the winner was decided in penalty shootout.
After the penalty shootout, Burkina Faso climbed with 8-7 scoreline to reach the quarter final stage of the tournament.
