African Nations Championship
Result: Gabon 0-0 Burundi
Date: 14 January 2014
Venue: Peter Mokaba Stadium
Neither side could find the back of the net as Gabon and Burundi played to a goalless draw in their opening Group D CAF African Nations Championship match at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Tuesday.
Gabon certainly started the brighter of the two teams and passed the ball about the middle of the park with real conviction in the opening 45 minutes.
Still, for all their domination, their final pass continued to let them down in the attacking third of the field.
Consequently, chances on goal were few and far between.
Gabon created their first chance on goal in the 20th minute as Edmond Mouelet got on the end of a free-kick, but his header went narrowly wide.
In the 31st minute Daniel Cousin tried his luck with a 35-yard free-kick, but his effort skimmed the wrong side of the crossbar.
Two minutes later Gabon finally beat the keeper as Franck Obame Engonga met a cross, but he saw his header cleared off the goalline by the Burundi defence.
In the 41st minute Cousin broke through on goal after superbly controlling a long ball on his chest, but the keeper was quickly off his goalline to smother the attacker.
The start of the second 45 saw Gabon continue to dominate the match with their first effort on goal coming four minutes after the restart as Cousin fired a set-piece narrowly wide of the target.
The game got bit sloppy after that as both teams struggled to keep hold of the ball and mount a sustained period of pressure.
The next effort on goal only came in the 76th minute as Djesnot Kabi Tchen let loose with a powerful shot from 30-yards out, but he saw his low grass-cutter well-saved.
Erwin Nguema had a great chance to steal the win for Gabon five minutes from time when he met a corner-kick with a powerful header after the keeper had missed the cross, but with a goal at his mercy he headed over the target.
The game ended 0-0 as Gabon and Burundi shared the spoils, which means both occupy second spot in Group D after Congo DR beat Mauritania 1-0 earlier in the day.
