Well, Gabon brought it on themselves and failed to kick on from scoring the opener through their skipper, Aubameyang, who found the net with his only real chance in the game. Guinea-Bissau’s heads never dropped and it looked as though they were going to be unlucky, until Soares’s late diving header. A deserved reward, and what a start for Baciro Candé’s side of predominantly unattached players. The scenes of celebration at full-time, with players being mobbed by supporters over the advertising hoardings, tell you all you need to know.
A thoroughly enjoyable match, with Guinea-Bissau getting the just reward for their efforts. Burkina Faso play Cameroon tonight, in an hour or so, in the other Group A match. Next up for Guinea-Bissau are Cameroon on Wednesday, while Burkina Faso will play tournament hosts Cameroon. Thanks for your company, emails and tweets, and don’t forget to check out the match report below. Bye!
Updated
Full-time! Gabon 1-1 Guinea-Bissau
So Guinea-Bissau, the smallest nation in this competition, have a point in their first ever match at a major tournament. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang looks rather glum as he leaves the field while it’s all smiles for Guinea-Bissau, who have recorded a famous point in this Group A opener.
Updated
90+3 min: Zezinho, the Guinea-Bissau captain, is pushing everybody forward for one last attack, as they win yet another free-kick. They go short and the whistle is blown.
90+2 min: Mendes, the Guinea-Bissau goalkeeper is down once more. It looks as though he has cramp this time. Either that, or it’s some marvellous time-wasting.
That is some header too, with Soares diving from another of Zezinho’s deep cross. He has silenced the home crowd, and every member of the team has ran off to celebrate with the defender who found the net. Gabon have dropped two points here it seems, but they’ve been far from convincing.
Updated
GOAL! Gabon 1-1 Guinea-Bissau (Soares, 90)
And how deserved it has been too!
88 min: Piqueti has shown plenty of pace and trickery in his cameo here. The TV commentator’s just likened his approach to Senegal’s Sadio Mané, which feels about right on the 20 minutes or so of evidence here. Meanwhile, Guinea-Bissau have yet another free-kick ...
87 min: José Luis Camacho is frantically trying to make another change for Gabon. They need to disrupt Guinea-Bissau’s rhythm somehow, who just keep coming back at them time and again. It’s forward Evouna Malick who will be replaced by Kevin Angoue.
85 min: A huge chance for Guinea-Bissau! Zezinho floats in the set-piece but Frederic Mendy’s header is straight at the Gabon goalkeeper. Mendy escaped his marker and leapt high, getting good power on his effort but it’s directly into the hands of the Gabon stopper.
84 min: Piqueti has been a real livewire since coming on for Guinea-Bissau, and he’s just won another free-kick, to ensure a nervous finish at the Stade d’Angondjé.
82 min: Zezinho’s back on his feet and takes a deep free-kick just inside the opposition half, which reaches Mendy but N’dong, Sunderland’s £13m record signing, wins a free-kick. Danger averted.
81 min: There’s no carnival atmosphere just yet but the horns are back out, as the Gabon supporters victory in their Group A opener is ever closer. It’s been a far from convincing performance, and Dabo has just done well again down the right for Guinea-Bissau before his cross is cleared.
78 min: Gabon slow things down in an attempt to take back control. Since going in front, they’ve stalled a bit. Zezinho, meanwhile, the Guinea-Bissau captain, looks in considerable pain and is on the floor with what looks like an achilles injury. The midfielder appeared to land awkwardly on the pitch, which is a little cut up.
Updated
75 min: Just wide from Rudinilson, the Guinea-Bissau defender! Zezinho’s corner is not properly cleared and the centre-back half-volleys an effort that falls just wide of goal. If that was on target, it surely would have nestled into the back of the net. Guinea-Bissau are not out of this just yet. A free agent, too, remember! Swansea City conceded four, while Peterborough conceded five today ... Rudinilson’s done himself no harm whatsoever.
Updated
73 min: A change for Gabon, as Lemina is withdrawn for Guelor Kanga, who plays his club football in Serbia with Red Star Belgrade. Piqueti, then, has a sight at goal and he lets fly, and his effort is deflected for a corner-kick. And before it’s taken, Guinea-Bissau make their final change, as Balde replaces Junior.
70 min: Gabon supporters are in good spirits now, dancing and singing away ... but they still only have a one-goal lead. Dabo combines with Toni Silva, who does brilliantly before firing his effort at the goalkeeper. Silva will have won plenty of admirers on this showing, he’s proved to be Guinea-Bissau’s best outlet.
Updated
69 min: It would have been a spectacular goal! Lemina runs in behind the back four, and gets his cross in from the byline. The ball is played behind Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who tries to hook it goalwards on the volley but it’s always rising. The chance is gone, and the striker’s wry smile says as much.
66 min: Camara is replaced by Frederic Mendy, who plays his club football in South Korea. Mendy is found straightaway after Junior goes into the challenge to win the ball back. Gabon appear to have taken their foot off the gas a little. Can Guinea-Bissau seize on their opponents’ lax spell.
65 min: Guinea-Bissau surge forward once more and they appear to have rolled up their sleevs a little. Piqueti causes the Gabon defenders to backpeddle before the ball eventually rolls out play on the flank. Obiang, the Gabon defender, meanwhile has just picked up the first yellow card of the tournament.
Updated
63 min: Guinea-Bissau win a free-kick, as Nanissio Soares does brilliantly to swivel away from his marker before winning a foul. The visitors really have not disgraced themselves at all here, and could have taken the lead. They will doubtless pay for their profligacy, though.
60 min: The first change of the afternoon sees Guinea-Bissau’s Mario replaced by Piqueti Djassi. Mario appeared to roll his ankle on the byline only a moment before but did get back up on to his feet. Meanwhile, Gabon seize back possession through Bouanga, who’s starred so far this second half.
59 min: Just what did José Luis Camacho, the Gabon coach, say to his players at the break? They have been rejuvenated since half-time. Palun, in particular, is finding lots of joy down the right.
57 min: That goal from Aubameyang has seen Gabon come alive but there’s still very much a game on. Guinea-Bissau charge down the right-hand flank through Toni Silva and he jinks past his man to cross for Camara. It causes panic before the coolest head in the box, Appindangoye, does superbly to calmly chest the ball back to his goalkeeper.
55 min: Aubameyang has taken his only real chance of the game, and that’s exactly why he’s so prolific. Guinea-Bissau looked the more dangerous team but the opening 10 minutes of this second period have seen Gabon grapple hold of the match. Gabon are camped inside the visitors’ box now.
GOAL! Gabon 1-0 Guinea-Bissau (Aubameyang, 53)
Aubameyang just could not miss from there. The Dortmund striker slides home a yard or so out from goal to convert a low cross from Bouanga. The tension around Stade d’Angondjé has been lifted as a result of that breakthrough and suddenly Gabon are in pole position. This will be a real test of character now for Guinea-Bissau.
Updated
49 min: Mendes tips over from Bouanga! The winger darts inside onto his right foot, before bending a shot goalwards and the Guinea-Bissau keeper does well to keep it out. Gabon suddenly look like they want to take charge of this match now. Palun then combines with Bouanga, who whips in a floating ball, which Mendes punches clear. He’s taken a whack for his efforts, though.
Updated
47 min: Mendes hoofs the ball upfield but Gabon come straight back at them, Aubameyang sprints through over the top but he’s flagged offside. It’s more encouraging at least for the hosts.
46 min: Guinea-Bissau get us back underway, they’re straight on the front foot, too, through the captain Zezinho and Toni Silva, their two most dangerous players in the first half.
Updated
The teams are on their way back out for the second half. Meanwhile, rapper Booba is serenading the crowd and players pitch-side, as they gear up for the next 45 minutes. The officials look pretty bewildered by the Frenchman’s lyrics. According to Wikipedia, he’s got a 2013 hit called “A.C. Milan”.
Updated
Half-time! Gabon 0-0 Guinea-Bissau
The hosts have failed to really showcase any of their talents, and, instead, Guinea-Bissau are doing themselves justice in this Group A and tournament opener. The “wild dogs” have made Aubameyang and Lemina, of Dortmund and Juventus respectively, look rather ordinary. The pair have been marshalled well by the Guinea-Bissau backline, including free agent Rudinilson Silva.
It was Toni Silva, the Guinea-Bissau winger who squandered probably the best chance of the match, while Lemina should have done better with his header. The second half, if nothing else, will surely see a better performance from Gabon. The next 45 minutes will prove something of a litmus test for both teams’ competition credentials.
HALF-TIME | Gabon - Guinea-Bissau 0-0 #CAN2017 #GABGNB pic.twitter.com/SBLO0wTGbx
— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 14, 2017
Updated
45 min: The resulting free-kick sees Zezinho blast at goal from about 35 yards out. It’s deflected for a corner, which will surely be the last action of this half.
44 min: A wild challenge from Manga and he’s duly reprimanded by the referee. A reckless, high challenge leaves Guinea-Bissau’s Francisco Junior in a heap on the floor.
43 min: A great chance for Guinea-Bissau! But Toni Silva’s volley falls just wide after chesting the ball down just inside the box. Baciro Candé will be very pleased with his side’s first-half display. Silva, once of Liverpool, Barnsley and Northampton Town, has looked pretty nifty so far.
42 min: Evouna looks up at goal from just outside the box, looks to surge towards goal and falls flat on his face after tripping over the ball ...
40 min: Bouanga’s involved once more, and it’s his sweeping free-kick in from the right that causes panic in the Guinea-Bissau box. It’s a fine, whipped ball in but Lemina fails to get his header on target. He makes very little contact and that’s a big chance gone, perhaps the best in this matchup so far.
Updated
39 min: Bouanga looks to latch onto a through ball but is blocked en route to the box. A foul is given against the winger though which is probably a little harsh. Bouanga later has a go with some head tennis and he looks to find a passage towards goal.
37 min: For Guinea-Bissau, it’s a case of so far so good as they’ve neutralised Gabon’s key threats. Mendes is back on his feet too, and has just took an age over a goal kick. Time-wasting, even at this early stage, it seems.
34 min: Both teams have fallen a little flat, and Guinea-Bissau keeper Jonas Mendes is down with what looks like a calf injury. He plays in the Portuguese third tier. Guinea-Bissau is of course a former colony of Portugal.
Updated
32 min: The camera pans to the dignitaries in the crowd, including the CAF president Issa Hayatou. The atmosphere is building a little, with horns, and what sound like vuvuzelas or sousaphones drumming up the sound at the stadium.
30 min: Role reversal then as this time Dabo, the Guinea-Bissau full-back bombs forward before getting to the byline and crossing. It’s straight down the goalkeeper’s throat, though, and means both teams are yet to test either goalkeeper. It’s the first ever competitive meeting between the two teams. Zizinho drives forward, after picking up Junior’s interception but his effort is wayward and very wide. It would have been some goal that.
27 min: Palun charges down the flank from right-back, does brilliantly to cut inside but he totally loses his footing at the crucial moment. An extremely tame effort. Gabon, considering the weapons in their armoury up front, are looking pretty toothless at present.
25 min: The impetus is back with Gabon now and you sense they’re only going to grow into this match. Meanwhile, N’dong has just put in a poor but nevertheless meaty challenge, winning Guinea-Bissau a free-kick. One step forward, two steps back for Gabon at the moment.
22 min: Malick Evouna is at the heart of Gabon’s forward play although both teams have lacked an end product so far. Evouna gets in behind the Guinea-Bissau but Rudinilson does well to put him off his balance. The hosts are in search of becoming the first host nation since Egypt (in 2006) to win the tournament on home turf.
20 min: The home crowd spring into action, as Aubameyang again looks for Evouna but this time he picks him out in the middle. But the forward mistimes his jump and fails to make any contact with the ball. His header is in vein before Guinea-Bissau eventually clear. The last couple of minutes Gabon appear to have upped the tempo a little.
19 min: Aubameyang, the Gabonese captain, tries to pick out Evouna but he overhits the pass. A nice idea, as the forward has snuck in behind the Guinea-Bissau backline.
Updated
17 min: Guinea-Bissau defender Rudinilson is a free agent after leaving Lechia Gdansk. He’s been tasked with marking Aubameyang. If he can keep him quiet, his CV will be duly enhanced. Guinea-Bissau still look comfortable although Lemina looks lively for the hosts.
15 min: Mendes is called upon again because Lemina runs onto a high ball and the Guinea-Bissau defender hesitates to clear the ball. Mendes averts the danger by running from his goal to scoop the ball.
14 min: Evouna crosses from the right but it’s too close to Guinea-Bissau goalkeeper Jonas Mendes. That’s about as good as it’s got for Gabon so far.
13 min: Manga with a poor tackle on Camara sees Guinea-Bissau win a free-kick on the halfway line. Gabon look pretty frustrated and are yet to really settle in front of the home, expectant crowd. Neither team have had a true shot at goal yet, though.
12 min: Zezinho, wearing the No7 shirt, is floating around like a top No10, picking his passes and constantly showing for the ball. Meanwhile, Aubameyang is moaning at the fourth official after being given offside after running onto a ball from N’dong.
“Greetings Africa my feeling is the score will be Gabon 2-1 Guinea-Bissau,” emails Thabamt. Any more predictions?
8 min: Another glimpse of goal for Guinea-Bissau which results in a foul and a free-kick for Gabon. A move down the right sees the ball land awkwardly in the box before Camara’s pulled up by the referee. They’ve fired a couple of early warnings here.
7 min: Toni Silva does well to get to byline before shooting at goal when he may have been better placed to pass inside in search of a team-mate. For a team that have reached their first ever major tournament, Guinea-Bissau have made an admirable start. They’re no mugs, though, and topped their qualifying group for this competition, ahead of Zambia, Kenya and Congo.
Updated
5 min: A fairly comfortable start for Guinea-Bissau, until Rudinilson just played himself into trouble and Gabon duly inflicted some panic with a long throw-in.
4 min: Gabon drive forward through Lemina and Guinea-Bissau slowly get their bodies behind the ball. Gabon remember are coached by José Luis Camacho, the Spanish coach who twice managed Real Madrid. “We must be ready to fight tooth and nail,” he said before this one.
2 min: Guinea-Bissau pass the ball out of play after some good closing down by N’dong. Gabon’s last match here was 15 November against Comoros, which ended 0-0.
We’re off! Guinea-Bissau take control of some early possession while Gabon, in their luminous yellow strip, attempt an early searching ball to Aubameyang.
Updated
The Africa Cup of Nations 2017 is about to get underway, with kick-off in the Group A opener just a minute or two away. Gabon have nine players based in Europe in their team, but the two key men are undoubtedly Lemina, of Juventus, and Aubameyang, of Dortmund. Sunderland’s Didier N’dong also starts in Libreville. The Guinea-Bissau team, meanwhile, are busy making Aubameyang wait for the coin toss, as they’re doing their team photo ...
Updated
Zezinho, the Guinea-Bissau No7, talks the CAF president through his players one-by-one (most who are unattached or play in Portugal), as the teams walk along for handshakes and other formalities such as the national anthems.
Seemed a mixed reaction to the handshakes, with Gabon pres Ali Bongo and CAF pres Issa Haytou. Stadium half-full but more outside. pic.twitter.com/ghdDOZk0fm
— Nick Ames (@NickAmes82) January 14, 2017
Updated
The teams, hosts Gabon and Africa Cup of Nations debutants Guinea-Bissau, are out onto the pitch at Stade de l’Amitie. Both sets of players may want to have a good look at this ground, as this very stadium will host the final of this competition on 5 February.
The former Liverpool winger Toni Silva, who also had a spell at Barnsley, starts for Guinea-Bissau, who are 68th in the Fifa rankings. Gabon, by contrast, are the lowest-ranked team at the tournament, down in 108th.
Updated
The match is being played in Libreville, at the Stade d’Angondjé, also known as Stade de l’Amitie:
In situ. Odd stadium, can't imagine it holds much atmosphere in. pic.twitter.com/dM6WB26NNF
— Nick Ames (@NickAmes82) January 14, 2017
Updated
The teams!
Gabon: Ebang, Appindangoye, Manga, Palun, Obiang, Ndong, Lemina, Abdoulaye, Bouanga, Aubameyang, Malick
Guinea-Bissau: Jonas, Dabo, Rudinilson, Juary, J Soares, Zezinho, Junior, Nanissio, Toni, Mario, Camara
Preamble
Another Africa Cup of Nations is upon us, and there’s no shortage of drama before kick-off. At Place Rio, in the middle of Libreville, there’s plans for a protest against the competition being held in Gabon. It was supposed to be in Libya, but conflict there saw Gabon take over.
Gabon host Guinea-Bissau, a teeny country, and one of the poorest in west Africa, looking at the UN index. This curtain-raiser, by nicknames, sees the ‘panthers’ take on the ‘wild dogs’. If that doesn’t sound appetising enough, then there’s also Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang, who has bagged a cool 20 goals in 22 appearances for none other than Borussia Dortmund this season.
For Guinea-Bissau, it’s the taking part that counts in many ways. The majority of Baciro Candé’s squad are unattached and in the shop window in other words. “We have a quiet confidence because we trust in our team and our collective group,” Candé said. “We are happy to be here, It is out first time and we must enjoy the moment.” Their key man goes by the name of Zezinho (he sounds like a world beater, at least) and then there’s Cicero, who plays his club football for Pacos de Ferreira in the Portuguese top flight.
There’s been some marvellous buildup to this tournament, that always seems to catch the imagination. There’s our group-by-group guide, Jonathan Wilson on the wide spread of talent on show and Nick Ames on Guinea-Bissau, who get us underway today.
Kick-off: 4pm GMT
Ben will be here in a minute. Until then, get accustomed with all things Afcon 2017, with this handy group-by-group guide:
