Gabon – The country, the football
Gabon is a country situated in west central Africa. It is surrounded by the Gulf of Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, and the Republic of the Congo.
Its size reaches 267,745 km2, and it has a population of 1,475,000 people – occupying the 150th place in the World Population Rankings.
Gabon’s national football team is called “Azingo Nationale”, and it is directed by the Fédération Gabonaise de Football. The team have never qualified for the FIFA World Cup tournament, but it has participated 3 times in the Africa Cup of Nations – excluding their qualification for the African competition’s 27th edition.
Gabon will co-host the Africa Cup of Nations along with Equatorial Guinea in 2012, and so, they will obtain an automatic place in the tournament’s finals.
Gabon – The road to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations finals
Gabon started the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in Pot C ahead of the Second Round. They were placed in Group 5 with former hosts Ghana, Libya, and Lesotho.
Gabon defeated Ghana in their first qualifying game, but then, 2 subsequent losses prevented them from benefiting from 6 points; which made them finish their Second Round campaign with 12 points. Ghana and Libya also finished with 12 points, but the Gabonese got the second place of their group in the end, due to goal difference value which was then higher than Libya’s.
Lack of memorable records from the Azingo Nationale locked Gabon at the 67th place of the FIFA World Rankings, and thus, they were inserted in Pot 3 before the draw for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations’ Third Round.
There, they landed in Group A, and Cameroon, Togo, and Morocco happened to be their next opponents. With such a harsh encounters ahead of them, there was no doubt that the Gabonese’ opportunities to reserve themselves a place in the tournament’s finals were strictly diminished.
Cameroon finished on top of their table with 13 points out of 6 games, and Gabon could only end as runners-up with 9 points, followed by Togo who were third with 8 points.
These three sides then all got tickets for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations finals in Angola, and unlike the Indomitable Lions who were top seeds before the finals’ draw, Gabon found themselves in Pot 4.
Gabon – The 2010 Africa Cup of Nations group stage
Burkina Faso, Mozambique, and Malawi were 3 teams the Azingo Nationale could not expect in their group, as they were all their neighbors in Pot 4.
Finally, Cameroon topped the Group D, and once again, they had to welcome Gabon in their table, along with Zambia, and Tunisia.
Match-day 1:
Gabon will play their first match of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations against Cameroon on January 13 2010, at 16:00 GMT in Lubango.
Cameroon are currently top seeds in Africa, and they are among the continent’s strongest teams – containing the likes of top stars including Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto’o, and Espanyol keeper Kameni. Analytically, Cameroon possess everything to impose theirselves over Gabon, but in football, surprises are always at the corner.
Match-day 2:
Next, Gabon will play as hosts against Tunisia in the same city, on January 17 2010, at 16:00 GMT.
In recent years, Tunisia haven’t had a bad record in the tournament, but Gabon have also shocked the public with their fast start in the qualifiers, almost making it through the World Cup.
Consequently, one could expect a deserve score line in the end of proceedings.
Match-day 3:
Finally, Gabon will face Zambia in Benguela again at 16:00 GMT, on January 21 2010.
This will be Gabon’s last game of the Africa Cup of Nations’ group stage, but the fact that their opponents are regarded as a struggling side reduces the excitement ahead of the encounter.
Considering both sides’ current form, Gabon could ahead for the best in this particular game.
Gabon – Expectations from the country and its top stars
Gabon’s run in the tournament’s qualifiers was much better than anyone was anticipating it to be. In reality, their manager and his players all deserve credits from their fans, as well as from other lovers of African football.
Definitely, a good campaign in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations finals would guaranty Coach Alain Giresse additional years in his position prior to the 2012 edition of the competition which is set to take place in his national team’s country.
Alain Giresse:
The manager Alain Giresse is a former French football player who has had a lot of success in his career. As a player for France’s national football team, Giresse managed to help his side reach the fourth place in the 1982 FIFA World Cup, and the third place in the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
He is now the coach of the Gabonese national football team, but despite his wonderful past, there are a few doubts over his abilities to lead his side to glory in Angola.
Gabon – Current Africa Cup of Nations squad
Goalkeepers:
Y. Moto; B. Nguema; D. Ovono
Defenders:
E. Akouassaga; G. Ambourouet; M. Apanga; B. Ecuele Manga; A. Do Marcolino; A. Moro; R. Moundounga; E. Nguema
Midfielders:
A. Copa; E. Djissikadie; T. Issiemou; P. Kessany; B. Mbanangoye; C. Moubamba; A. N'Doumbou
Attackers:
P. Aubameyang; W. Aubameyang; D. Cousin; F. Do Marcolino; E. Mouloungui
Gabon – Africa Cup of Nations record
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In their history, the Gabonese football national team have qualified 5 times for the Africa Cup of Nations in all, and their participation in the tournament in Angola will undoubtedly be their opportunity to prove themselves to their African counterparts, and perhaps, to the whole world.
Below, we take a look at Gabon’s record in the competition since they first took part in it.
2012: Qualified as co-hosts
2010: Qualified as participants
2000, 1994: Round 1
1996: Quarterfinals
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