Burkina Faso 1 - Gabon 0; Niger 2 - Congo 2

Ouagadougou and hosts Burkina Faso welcomed Gabon to town for their crucial final qualifying match of the CAF Second Round.  Gabon needed a win and a Congo loss in the other Group E match being played simultaneously in order to advance.  Burkina Faso needed a win and for Congo not to win in order to advance.  No goals were scored in the first period.

Nearly ten minutes into the second period, Burkina Faso played a cross into the danger area.  Prejuce Nekoulma headed a powerful strike into the goal to give The Stallions a lead.  Burkina Faso were now hoping for help from Niger, having already held up their end of the bargain.  Burkina Faso win 1-0.  The result eliminates Gabon from the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Niamey and hosts Niger looked to spoil the dreams of visiting Congo.  A Congo victory over the last-place hosts would see Congo through to the next round, but a slip-up would likely see their dreams shattered.  Mahamane Cisse drove up the left side of the Congolese defense and then shot from a very obtuse angle to score at the near post for the opener.  Niger were ahead 1-0 at halftime, but Congo were still in position to advance with Burkina Faso and Gabon all square at halftime in the other match.

Congo drew level midway through the second half.  A cross from the right bounced just out of reach of a pair of players, freezing the Niger goalkeeper Kassaly Daouda (pictured, blue) at his near post.  Fabrice Nguessi then finished at the far post to level the match.  But four minutes later the hosts had restored their lead.  Daouda Kamilou finish a half volley under pressure from the half circle to make it 2-1.  Six minutes after that, Congo forward Christopher Samba (pictured, red with ball) won a header against Daouda.  His header softly bounced back into play off the crossbar, allowing Ulrich Kapolongo to score the equalizer with a diving header.  Congo were unable to push the third goal across and received no help from Gabon in the other match.  Niger pull out a 2-2 draw against favored Congo, eliminating Congo from the 2014 FIFA World Cup and handing Burkina Faso a berth in the last round of African qualifying.

Burkina Faso 12 pts IN
Congo OUT
Gabon OUT
Niger OUT

Goals
Burkina Faso
Prejuce Nekoulma 54

Niger
Mahamane Cisse 34
Daouda Kamilou 70

Congo
Fabrice Nguessi 66
Ulrich Kapolongo 76

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6tWa67zzBc (Burkina Faso v. Gabon)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxaj2_Y0f0k (Niger v. Congo)

Burkina Faso 1 - Congo 0; Gabon 4 - Niger 1

A game at home to Burkina Faso in Pointe-Noire was the first of two chances Congo would have to clinch the Group E title.  However, a Burkinabe victory would maintain hope not only for Burkina Faso, but also for Gabon.  Congo had the first dangerous attack of the half as an attempted cross tailed away and struck the Burkinabe crossbar before bouncing away.  Congo goalkeeper Barel Mouko nearly gave away a goal by trying to save a high-velocity, chest-high back pass from going out of bounds.  Luckily for Mouko, he was able to block the shot that came from the rebound as Congo avoided disaster.  Fabrice Nguessi led a charge for Congo up the right side.  He slotted a pass to the top of the box, but Burkina Faso goalkeeper Daouda Diakite made a sliding save to his left.  Aristide Bance (pictured, green) scored a goal late in the half for Burkina Faso from eleven yards out, and then struck another ball off the crossbar just before the end of the opening period.  Burkina Faso led 1-0 at the halftime whistle.

Very late in the second half, the Burkinabe nearly doubled their lead.  Burkina Faso pulled out Congo's goalkeeper before laying a ball across the box, but the shot on the vacated net was blocked by a kick save from a Congolese defender.  Nevertheless, Burkina Faso win 1-0 and maintain life in the chase for round three.

If you did not think you would see the day when a player scored a hat trick in a FIFA World Cup match on penalty kicks alone, it is time to update your world view.  Gabon pulled off the odd feat today in a home match against Niger in Libreville.  They did so in comeback fashion, however, as Niger took a lead just before the quarter hour mark through Yacouba Seydou.  Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang began his odd penalty kick hat trick with two minutes left in the half, which ended 1-1.

The final ten minutes were an extremely messy affair.  Niger lost Kofi Dankwae to his second yellow card in minute 80, but Gabon countered with an Eric Mouloungui red three minutes later.  Not to be outdone, Niger responded with a straight red to Kourouma Fatoukouma three minutes after that, and suddenly Gabon were at the penalty spot again.  Aubameyang converted to give Gabon a 2-1 lead in a match where they had ten men and their opponents had only nine.  Deep into stoppage time, Gabon scored not once, but twice.  Bruno Ecuele had one from open play, but Aubameyang finished off his hat trick and the match with his third penalty conversion.  Gabon win 4-1.

In a fair world, Burkina Faso would win the group in September with a win at home against Gabon, but the world is not fair so now the Burkinabe will have to pull hard for Niger to get a result against Congo come September.

Congo 10 pts +4
Burkina 9 pts +2
Gabon 7 pts 0
Niger OUT

Goals
Burkina Faso
Aristide Bance 38

Gabon
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 43 PK, 87 PK, 90+8 PK
Bruno Ecuele 90+7

Niger
Yacouba Seydou 14

Match Reports:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22921519

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWErbEyrN14 (Burkina Faso v. Congo)

Burkina Faso 1 - Niger 0

Niamey saw hosts Niger play Burkina Faso.  The Burkinabe needed a victory in order to keep pressure on runaway group leaders Congo.  The first half did not bring about any scoring.

With just under ten minutes left to play, Burkina Faso swung in a cross from the left flank toward Jonathan Pitroipa (pictured).  Niger goalkeeper Kassaly Douada desperately lunged at the cross, but all he did was pop it up into the air.  Pitroipa readjusted to the ball and nodded it home for the 1-0 lead.  Burkina Faso held on, and they win 1-0 on the road.  As a result, Niger are eliminated from the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Congo 10 pts +5
Burkina 6 pts +1
Gabon 4 pts -3
Niger OUT

Goals
Burkina Faso
Jonathan Pitroipa 81

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85FwBbQo6_E

Gabon 0 - Congo 0

Franceville was the site of a forgettable encounter between visitors Congo and Gabon.  Defensive leader for Congo Christopher Samba was not available, but the defenses held firm in this match.  The match ends as a 0-0 draw, which does no favors to Gabon in their quest to catch Congo six points adrift of their lead.

Congo 10 pts +5
Gabon 4 pts -3
Burkina 3 pts 0
Niger 3 pts -2

Match Reports:
http://www.africatopsports.com/2013/06/08/elim-mondial-2014-le-gabon-proche-de-la-sortie-le-congo-solide/

Congo 1 - Gabon 0; Burkina Faso 4 - Niger 0

Pointe Noire and surprising Congo played host to Gabon as Congo tried to extend their lead in Group E.  In a low-scoring group, this match played to form.  The first half ended 0-0.

In the second period, Congo broke the deadlock through a goal from defender Christopher Samba that was scored from fourteen yards to the far post.  Congo held on for the remainder of the match, and they win 1-0 to take a six-point lead at the halfway point of Group E play.

2013 African Cup of Nations runners-up Burkina Faso played their first match since that tournament at home to Niger in Ouagadougou.  Burkina Faso were stuck at the bottom of the group table in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, however, and they needed this win badly.  Jonathan Pitroipa (pictured, white) put the home side on their way with a score in the third minute.  The Burkinabe controlled the ball and the match, and the lead was doubled from a shot outside the box by Aristide Bance.  Burkina Faso led 2-0 at the break.

In the second period, it was more of the same.  With a dozen minutes to go, Charles Kabore made it three with a curling shot.  Burkina Faso slowed the game down from there on out, but they still managed a fourth goal through Prejuce Nekoulma with two minutes to go.  Burkina Faso win 4-0.

Congo 9 pts +5
Burkina 3 pts 0
Niger 3 pts -2
Gabon 3 pts -3

Goals
Congo
Christopher Samba 67

Burkina Faso
Jonathan Pitroipa 3
Aristide Bance 36
Charles Kabore 78
Prejuce Nakoulma 88

Match Reports:
http://www.supersport.com/football/africa/news/130323/Congo_edge_Gabon_to_stay_top
http://footballeveryday.wordpress.com/2013/03/24/motd-burkina-faso-4-0-niger/

Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=i9urBaGg_J8 (Congo v. Gabon)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmhUg5A579c (Burkina Faso v. Niger)

Burkina Faso and Gabon docked points for ineligible players

On 2 June 2012, Burkina Faso played to a 0-0 draw at home to Congo.  On 3 June 2012, Niger played to a 0-0 draw at home to Gabon.  According to FIFA's rulings handed down in the past week, those two matches have been awarded as 3-0 victories to Congo and Gabon.

FIFA apparently think they are now bigger than the game they govern.  CAF had cleared the two players deemed ineligible by FIFA for action at the 2012 African Cup of Nations.  The Gabonese player Charly Moussono had featured in four competitive matches during that tournament, and the Burkinabe player Herve Zengue also featured in the tournament during qualifying.  Moussono (pictured, right) had appeared at a FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in 2006 for Cameroon.  Zengue (pictured, left) is Cameroonian by birth and Burkinabe by marriage.

The two teams have until mid-January 2013 to appeal the stupid suspensions.  Hopefully, an arbitration panel will overturn these technicality-induced penalties and restore competitive balance in CAF Group E.  Gabon and Niger surely thought that clearance from CAF and no previous FIFA intervention meant that their players were eligible, but FIFA claim that they did not have governing control over the 2012 African Cup of Nations.  The arbitration panel selected is hopefully intelligent enough to see right through that pathetic claim.

The current group standings pending the appeal are given below.

Congo 6 pts
Niger 3 pts +2
Gabon 3 pts -2
Burkina Faso 0 pts -4

News Reports:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20782436
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=1975992/index.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20816001

Gabon 1 - Burkina Faso 0; Congo 1 - Niger 0

Group E, a group with no clear cut favorite, saw two 0-0 draws on Matchday One.  Matchday Two brought Burkina Faso to Libreville to face Gabon.  The hosts started off the best, but Burkina Faso had the one true chance of the first half, which they were unable to convert.  This half was to forever be scoreless.

In the second half, Remy Ebanega was the recipient of a flicked on header off a corner kick, allowing him to nod home from the unguarded far post.  The crowd in Libreville went crazy, and Gabon were up 1-0.  Burkina Faso failed to find the equalizer, so the final score read Gabon 1, Burkina Faso 0.

In another match that appeared destined to be goalless, Congo welcomed Niger to Pointe Noire.  Niger's Mohamed Chikoto was sent off for a red card with two minutes left in the first half.  The half was scoreless, but Congo surely would be able to parlay their man advantage into a goal.

It took them nearly the entire game to do so, but Congo eventually used their extra man to their benefit.  The goal fell four minutes from time, and Congo held on to take the full three points.  The 1-0 win means that Congo join Gabon on four points at the top of the group with the teams scheduled to face each other on the next matchday.

Gabon 4 pts +1

Congo 4 pts +1
Niger 1 pts -1
Burkina Faso 1 pts -1

Goals
Gabon
Remy Ebanega 56

Congo
Francis Malonga 86

Match Reports:
http://www.mtnfootball.com/international/fifa-world-cup-2014/matches/reports/2012/june/09-gabon-v-burkina-faso.html

Full Match Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElVNvbZHmEI (1st half of Gabon v. Burkina Faso)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjXMiiegfrw (2nd half of Gabon v. Burkina Faso)

Niger 0 - Gabon 0

Niger welcome Gabon to Niamey with revenge on their minds.  The Mena had lost to Gabon at the 2012 African Cup of Nations by a score of 2-0.  The Mena looked focused and came out with multiple scoring chances, but their finishing was wasteful, leaving the match on edge at the half, 0-0.

In the second half, both offenses continued to do nothing, with Niger's defense in particular stifling every opportunity Gabon had.  With the match ending in a 0-0 draw, Group E failed to see a single goal scored on its first matchday.  Hopefully, the level of attacking picks up during next week's fixtures.

Gabon 1 pts 0

Congo 1 pts 0

Niger 1 pts 0

Burkina Faso 1 pts 0

Match Reports:

http://www.supersport.com/football/africa/news/120603/Niger_Gabon_settle_for_draw

Full Match Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ3LkUepZ4c

Congo 0 - Burkina Faso 0

Burkina Faso hosted Congo in their Group E opener in Ouagadougou.  The football from the host Burkinabe was uninspiring.  The game was temporarily paused in minute 14 due to a massive dust cloud, but it resumed shortly thereafter.  Burkina Faso at one point collected three consecutive corner kicks, but Congo goalkeeper Abedlaye Soulama was on his game.  The score was 0-0 after the first forty-five.

The second forty-five saw some blown chances by the Burkinabe.  Usually deadly striker Moumouni Dagano (pictured, white) blew a chance on an open net three minutes from time, costing his side two points in the race to Brasil 2014.  The score ended with a 0-0 draw that will suit Congo much more than it does Burkina Faso.

Match Reports:
http://www.lefaso.net/spip.php?article48343