Last gasp Guinea-Bissau hold hosts Gabon – Africa Cup of Nations 2017

Group A

Gabon 1-1 Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau snatched a shock 1-1 draw with a last-minute goal against hosts Gabon in the opening match of the 2017 African Nations Cup in Libreville.

The Borussia Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang fired Gabon ahead early in the second half but the hosts failed to build on their advantage. Guinea-Bissau grew in confidence in the game’s latter stages and secured a point from the when the defender Juary Soares sent a diving header into the far corner.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s strike was cancelled out by Juary Soares as Guinea-Bissau secured a late point in the Africa Cup of Nations opener

After a low-key first half, Gabon upped the tempo soon after the restart as the Tours midfielder Denis Bouanga saw his goal-bound effort saved. The hosts made their pressure count on 52 minutes, when the ball found its way out to Bouanga on the right side of the penalty area and his low drive back across the six-yard box was stabbed in by Aubameyang at the far post.

The Stade d’Angondje had suddenly found its voice and the home side continued to press. They were in again on 68 minutes as the Juventus midfielder Mario Lemina got away down the right only to see his cutback blasted over the crossbar by Aubameyang

However, Guinea Bissau – who were playing their first ever game in a first major international tournament – weathered the storm and Frédéric Mendy, on as a substitute, headed straight at the Gabon goalkeeper, Didier Ovono, following a deep free-kick.

The equaliser came in the final minute of normal time when a free-kick was floated into the right side of the Gabon penalty area and Soares guided it into the bottom corner.