Story highlights
Co-hosts finish top of Group C after 1-0 win over Tunisia in Franceville
Niger lose to Morocco 1-0 to finish bottom of group with no points
Co-hosts Gabon beat Tunisia 1-0 on Tuesday night to seal top spot in Group C and maintain their 100% record in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Both teams had already guaranteed their passage through to the knockout stages with both winning their opening two matches, but it was The Panthers who came out on top in a close encounter in Franceville.
A 62nd-minute goal from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang proved enough against an under-strength Tunisian side, who chose to rest some of their top players including skipper Karim Haggui, Khaled Korbi and Mejdi Traoui,
Nevertheless, the 2004 champions proved a handful as they had the better of the opening exchanges.
But it was Gabon who came closest to scoring in the first half when Tunisia failed to clear their lines from an Aubameyang cross.
The resulting chance fell to skipper Daniel Cousin but he conspired to drag his shot wide.
Four minutes after Aubaneyang scored, Cousin was presented with another chance to score but once again his shot was off-target.
The win left him and his teammates with nothing to rue as they claimed the three points, setting up a meeting with the runners-up in Group D in Libreville next Sunday.
Tunisia will face the winners of Group D.
In Group C’s other match, Morocco took all three points beating Niger 1-0.
Both teams were pointless heading into the game and had no chance of progressing to the quarterfinals, but it was the Atlas Lions who restored some pride as Younes Belhand scored ten minutes from the end.
