Burkina Faso’s Steeve Yago and teammates celebrate after winning the penalty shootout against Gabon at the Africa Cup of Nations. Picture: Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Reuters
Limbe, Cameroon – Ismahila Ouedraogo scored the decisive penalty kick as Burkina Faso beat Gabon 7-6 in a dramatic shoot-out to become the first team through to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations after Sunday's match in Limbe finished 1-1 at the end of extra time.
Burkina Faso appeared to have the victory sewn up in normal time thanks to a first-half goal from captain Bertrand Traore, who had earlier missed a penalty.
Gabon were reduced to 10 men when centre-back Sidney Obissa was dismissed midway through the second half, but they forced extra time as the unfortunate Adama Guira helped the ball into his own net in the first minute of added time.
📹 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒: 🇧🇫 1 (7) - (6) 1 🇬🇦 #TeamBurkinaFaso secure the first ticket to the #TotalEnergiesAFCON2021 quarter-finals following a penalty shootout victory against Gabon. 🔥
— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) January 24, 2022
Watch the key moments from #BFAGAB 👇#AFCON2021 | @Football2Gether pic.twitter.com/mac0FV9n3A
After there was no scoring in the extra half-hour, penalties went all the way to sudden death and Lloyd Palun became the third Gabon player to miss his kick before Ouedraogo took the Stallions through.
The 2013 runners-up will face Nigeria or Tunisia in the last eight.
AFP