Gabon/Tunisia: Teams to Fight for Top Place in Their Group

Seydou Keita of Mali, left, and Cedric Moubamba of Gabon.
30 January 2012

Gabon and Tunisia have already sealed their qualification for the quarter-finals at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations but have top spot in Group C still to play for when they meet in Franceville on Tuesday.

With Ghana likely to finish as winners in Group D, both these sides would like to claim top spot in their pool and avoid a quarter-final meeting with the Black Stars. They would instead play either Guinea or Mali, no pushovers either.

Gabon have the added incentive that the winner of the pool plays the next game back in Libreville, where the co-hosts have enjoyed fantastic support from their home fans. If they come second, they will remain in Franceville. And if they come second and still advance to the semi-final, they will have to return to Equatorial Guinea for the Last 4 match, losing home advantage.

Both coaches will be keen to maintain the momentum gained by successive victories in the pool to date, with another victory providing a key psychological boost going into the quarter-finals.

Gabon have exceeded expectations with their achievements so far, especially the come-from-behind win over Morocco on Friday.

"We have a competitive team," coach Gernot Rohr says. "It is not always easy to come back, and for them to find the resources to impose themselves in the final minutes shows that mentally they are very strong. We are not pretending to be Brazil, we are humble but we overcame Morocco with some brilliance."

Tunisia also beat Niger and Morocco and look to be a skillful side with surprise potential. They were not considered in the list of favourites because they were fortunate to qualify, but they have since proven their ability.

There is concern about the fitness of goalkeeper Aymen Matlhtouhi ahead of the game, while Isaam Jemaa is expected to start for the first time.

He came on to score a last-gasp goal in the 2-1 win over Niger in Libreville on Friday.

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