- Saturday January 14, 2017
- Gabon Vs Guinea Bissau – Stade de Angondje, Libreville @ 16:00hrs (7pm East African Time)
Hosts Gabon target a winning start to the 2017 Africa Nations Cup against debutants Guinea Bissau.
In a highly anticipated opening match of the 31st edition of Africa’s biggest football event, the hosts are under enormous pressure as compared to their opponents who against all odds, qualified at the expense of 2012 champions, Zambia.
Spanish coach, Jose Antonio Camacho holds hopes of an expectant nation, along with star man Pierre Emerick Aubameyang that will be boosted by home playing in front of their fans.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Camacho who guided Spain to the quarter finals of the World Cup in 2002 admitted his team has to fight tooth and nail citing the pressure of playing at home.
“In this tournament all the teams are difficult to handle. We must be ready to fight tooth and nail,” he said.
“If Guinea-Bissau wins, it is because they were better prepared than we were – but they don’t have the pressure we have because we a playing at home,”
For Guinea Bissau, who had a year to tell in 2016, Coach Baciro Cande, one of only four local coaches in the tournament has urged his charges to forget all that they achieved and focus on the competition.
“We have already forgotten what we achieved in qualification,” he revealed. “This competition has different characteristics. We have a quiet confidence because we trust in our team and our collective group. We are happy to be here, it is out first time and we must enjoy the moment.”
FACTS:
- Gabon is the lowest FIFA ranked nation at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations
- Striker Pierre Emerick Aubameyang has so far scored 20 goals in 22 appearances for Borussia Dortmund.
- Only 11 teams out of the 31 host nation have lifted the championship.
- Guinea Bissau are the only team at AFCON making their debut.
Though Gabon seems short of quality, it will be a shock if Guinea Bissau stun them on match day one of the tournament.
