Thievy Bifouma scored four minutes from time to silence a frenzied home crowd as Congo fought back to claim a 1-1 draw with hosts Equatorial Guinea in their opening Group A clash at the 2015 African Nations Cup at the Estadio de Bata on Saturday.
Middlesbrough forward Emilio Nsue had put the hosts ahead early in the first half and they looked as though they would ride their luck to hold on for the win until Bifouma earned his side a point.
Guinea, whose side is made up mostly of players in the lower leagues in Spain, were slick on the ball in the first half and had the better of the play, but invited Congolese pressure in the final 15 minutes as they sat back holding on for the win.
The opening goal on 16 minutes was all about the guile and quality of winger Enrique Boula, who nutmegged one defender, bamboozled another with a swerve of his body and played a delightful through-ball for Nsue to run on to.
The Equatorial Guinea captain looked marginally offside, but the flag stayed down and he provided a neat finish under Congo goalkeeper Christoffer Mafoumbi to score.
It sparked frenzied scenes around the stadium – and on the home bench – and was a deserved lead for the hosts.
Congo's best chance of the half fell to Marvin Baudry, who headed the wrong side of the post having beaten Guinea goalkeeper Felipe Ovono from Francis Nganga's free-kick.
Such was the confidence of the home team that they were having efforts on goal from everywhere, Ivan Edu tried his luck with a swerving shot from 40-yards that Mafoumbi could only parry to safety.
Guinea midfielder Javier Balboa should have made it 2-0 when he found himself one-on-one with Mafoumbi, but with time to pick his spot, he lashed a shot straight at the goalkeeper.
At the other end, Ovono got down low to his left to palm away a strike from Ladislas Douniama, while Nsue was denied as he again broke the fragile Congolese offside trap.
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Nsue was then denied a second by an incorrect offside call as he chipped the goalkeeper from 25-yards as the home side continued to use their pace to outstrip the Congo defence.
But they were almost made to pay for their wastefulness when a free-kick from Nganga took a deflection and cannoned back into play off the far post with two Congolese players unable to turn the ball home.
Congo finally did get their goal as Bifouma netted from a tight angle four minutes from the end, and the visitors then spurned a chance shortly afterwards when Dominique Malonga was denied by Ovono.
Guinea hung on for the point and maintained an unbeaten run for home nations in the competition with no host having lost the opening match of the tournament since Burkina Faso in 1998.
Congo are still searching for their first victory at the continental finals in 40 years – their last a 2-1 success over neighbours Zaire (now DR Congo) at the 1974 finals in Egypt where they finished fourth.
