Gabon coach Patrice Neveu says their victory over Sudan has excited him because his players played well and dominated the 2023 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.
The Panthers stopped the Nile Crocodiles 1-0 in their Group I match played at the Stade de Franceville in Franceville on Thursday night.
Gabon created several scoring chances through Aaaron Salem Boupendza and Athanase Denis Bouanga earlier in the first half, but failed to make them count.
French based skipper Lloyd Palun netted the lone goal after 72 minutes when he tapped in a well taken Guelor Kanga Kaku free kick.
The Sudan team, handled by new coach Zaki Badou, a former Moroccan goalkeeper, used a highly defensive approach to deny Gabon more goals.
Later Sudan was forced to replace inform goalkeeper Mohamed Mustafa Ahmed Mohamed after 82 minutes when he got a knock.
"We have played well today and created several scoring chances. I am happy we have won the match and now look ahead to the next match next week in Sudan," said the Gabon coach Neveu.
The coach said the win has excited him because the team did not only win, but played well. "I am excited about the win today because we played well and dominated the match," he added.
The win sends Gabon top of Group I with 7 points, while Mauritania who battle bottom placed DR Congo on Friday are second with 4 points.