The Starlets produced a scintillating display, completely outclassing their opponents on the night.

Captain Eric Ayiah got the first goal of the game through a penalty after he was brought down in the box.

Emmanuel Toku added a second before the break with a composed close-range finish after a defensive error from Gabon’s Silvain Mba Edou.

The second half mirrored the first and ended with the Starlets showing their overall class, creating chance after chance with some intricate skill and passing.

Eric Ayiah scored his second of the game with a brilliant lob over on rushing Gabonese keeper Brunel Ilagou Ilagou after another defensive mix up.

Emmanuel Toku also grabbed his brace with a neat finish after a one-two with Ayiah.

Late substitute Patmos Arhin made sure he was in on the party, completing the scoring after yet another defensive mix up from the Gabonese.

The victory means the Starlets have secured a place in the Under-17 FIFA World Cup in India later this year.

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By: Daniel Koranteng/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The Panthers needed to beat Cameroon on Sunday but could only draw 0-0.

Aubameyang said: “It is really annoying because we had chances. Sadly there are days when it doesn’t go in, like my first chance from two metres out.

“We are all really disappointed. We didn’t really have the time to prepare (for the tournament).”

Aubameyang reacted angrily after final whistle, storming off, kicking a ball off the pitch and not shaking hands with anyone.

Coach Jose Antonio Camacho told him to calm down but Aubameyang waved him away as he walked down the tunnel.

“Of course everyone is disappointed, it is usual in these situations,” said Aubameyang. “The players feel it the most.”

Aubameyang also appeared to be unhappy that the team did not begin their preparations for the tournament on 3 January as planned.

“We did not start on that date, we started a little bit late,” he said. “But I am really proud of all the players, because everyone gave their all.

“I think we were stronger than every other team in the group, but it is about everything, the preparation, the change of coach, it wasn’t easy.”

Aubameyang, who scored in the opening two games, also admitted that his own contribution could have been better.

“I know there was a lot of expectation around me,” he said. “I’m not entirely satisfied with my performances, I think I could have brought a little more. Sure I scored two goals but I wasn’t at 100%.”

Spaniard Camacho was appointed as Gabon coach only 43 days before the tournament started, replacing the sacked Jorge Costa.

It was always going to be a tough task for him to creative a cohesive unit with the players and Gabon misfired at the tournament, drawing all of their games and only managing to score two goals.

Camacho believes conceding a late equaliser to debutants Guinea-Bissau in their first game set them back and they failed to recover.

“I am very sorry for the fans. And the players, who did their best. I think today we did not qualify because we dropped two points in the first match against Guinea-Bissau,” he said.

“The most important thing is to score goals. Against Burkina Faso we had lots of opportunities but did not score and the same was true against Cameroon.
“The reality in football is if you do not score goals you cannot qualify.”

Burkina Faso qualified for the quarters-finals as Group A winners and Cameroon joined them as runners-up.
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By: BBC

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According to him the Black Stars have hungered for long for the trophy thus the need for the entire nation to back them in their quest to bring home the trophy.

He made the call on his official twitter handle on Tuesday few hours to the first game against the Cranes of Uganda.

#BringBackthecup. The AFCON cup has eluded us for far too long. Let’s support our Black Stars.

 

#BringBackthecup. The AFCON cup has eluded us for far too long. Let’s support our Black Stars. pic.twitter.com/dB4sRiTICp

— John Dramani Mahama (@JDMahama) January 17, 2017

It was during John Mahama’s time as President that apathy against the Black Stars begun following a decision to fly money to the team in Brazil during the 2014 World Cup.

President Nana Akufo-Addo over the weekend also urged the Stars to bring the trophy home.

He also tweeted:

Best wishes to the players, technical & management team of the Black Stars. Time to end our 34 year wait for the AFCON trophy. Go for gold!

The Africa Cup of Nations started last Saturday and the first round of games will come to an end today, Tuesday with both Ghana and record holders Egypt all in action.

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By: Rahman Osman/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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The is because of the tight security at the hotel the players were lodging.

The Black Stars arrived in Gabon on Saturday after technical issues with their flight hence delaying their arrival.

Despite an uncertainty in their arrival hundreds of fans met them at the hotel but were unfortunately denied from getting autographs and welcome from the fans who waited for them outside.

Go for gold – President to Black Stars
Ghana’s president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo earlier urged the Black stars to ensure that they win the 2017 African Nations Cup.

The president took to Twitter to wish the team best of luck.

He tweeted:

Best wishes to the players, technical & management team of the Black Stars. Time to end our 34 year wait for the AFCON trophy. Go for gold!

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By: Rahman Osman/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Juary Soares scored the equaliser for the Wild Dogs with a diving header from a free-kick in the 90th minute.

Gabon had taken the lead on 52 minutes when superstar Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang turned in Denis Bouanga’s cross-shot.

Home fans jeered loudly at the end, making their discontent evident.

But the draw was no more than a spirited Guinea-Bissau side deserved as they frustrated their opponents throughout and took their chance to continue what has been a fairytale run in getting to the finals.

Few predicted they would take anything from their group games at the tournament but they arguably looked the more dangerous side in a game that only livened up after half-time.

While Aubaemyang showed his predatory instincts to finish off Bouanga’s ball across the face of the box, the Dortmund striker was less clinical when he volleyed over on 69 minutes.

It would have doubled Gabon’s lead and might have ended Guinea-Bissau’s resistance. Instead, they fought back and began to impose themselves on the game.

A clear chance came on 83 minutes but substitute Frederic Mendy headed straight at goalkeeper Didier Ovono and it seemed they would have to be content with a brave defeat.

But when they won another free-kick, Soares connected brilliantly to send his side into raptures.

In the group’s later game, Burkina Faso drew 1-1 with Cameroon.
Gutsy Guinea-Bissau

After going 1-0 down to the hosts, Guinea-Bissau might have folded. But the tournament debutants continued to plug away and, if they show the same grit and determination, they may pull off a few more surprises.

They pressed high, snapped into their tackles and former Everton youth player Junior Francisco particularly caught the eye on his first cap, prowling the midfield and breaking up play effectively.

Toni Silva, once at Liverpool, also impressed, showing glimpses of skill and creativity – if he grows in confidence he could be a key figure for the team.
Hosts Gabon must improve

Largely pedestrian, perhaps suffering from nerves, but most definitely below the level of performance the home crowd – and manager Jose Antonio Camacho – expect of them.

Having a world-class striker in Aubemayang will only get Gabon so far. While he was not at his very best, service to him was poor. And Juventus midfielder Mario Lemina was particularly disappointing.

The moment that summed up the Panthers perfectly came when Merlin Tandjigora swiped at a clearance, completely missed the ball and clattered Francisco Junior. So wild and inept it was comical. Gabon need to find their timing and rhythm – fast.’
What the managers said:

Guinea Bissau coach Baciro Cande: “We are very, very happy. Now we have the motivation to go as far as possible.”

Gabon coach Jose Antonio Camacho: “It’s very difficult to win the first match in these tournaments. For the next match we have to fight tooth and nail.”

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Source: BBC

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“I pledge to devote all my efforts for the good of the Gabonese people and to ensure their well-being … and respect and defend the constitution and the rule of law,” the 57-year-old said during Tuesday’s ceremony, according to AFP news agency.

Earlier on Tuesday, the presidency had said the ceremony was going to be held at the presidential palace in the capital Libreville, without offering details of who had been invited or the time of the event.

The lack of details regarding the ceremony prompted a wave of criticism from the opposition, which has accused Bongo of “stealing” the vote.

“You don’t get sworn in unceremoniously in secret,” said Jean-Gaspard Ntoutoume Ayi, spokesman for Bongo’s main rival Jean Ping.

Bongo’s victory in the August 27 vote was confirmed on Saturday by the country’s top court, which dismissed opposition claims of voter fraud. Violence initially erupted on August 31 after Bongo, 57, was first declared the winner. Demonstrators set the parliament ablaze and clashed with police, who arrested more than 1,000 people.

Opposition figures say more than 50 people were killed, but authorities disputed that claim, saying that just a handful of people had died in the violence.

Ping, 73, who came in second in the vote, rejected the court’s ruling as a miscarriage of justice and declared himself “president elect”. A career diplomat and a former top official at the African Union, he had filed a legal challenge after Bongo was declared the winner by a slender margin of fewer than 6,000 votes.

Ping had asked for a recount in Haut-Ogooue province, where 95 percent of voters in the Bongo family stronghold were reported to have cast their ballots for the president on a turnout of more than 99 percent.

The Constitutional Court upheld Bongo’s victory and put the winning margin higher at around 11,000 votes.

The African Union said it had “taken note” of the court’s verdict, as did UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The European Union, which sent a monitoring mission to Gabon during the election, said in a statement on Saturday that its observers had been granted “very limited access” to the court review process, and that the Gabonese people had a legitimate right to question the integrity of the electoral process.

Responding to the criticism, Bongo told Al Jazeera he had little interest in the opinions of the international community.

“The international community does not cast a vote here, Gabonese people do. So, I am accountable to them,” Bongo said.

In its final tally, the court ruled Bongo had won 50.66 percent of the vote (172,990 votes) and Ping 47.24 percent (161,287 votes).

Bongo’s family has exercised a long grip on power in the oil- and mineral-rich country of 1.8 million people.

Bongo took over from his father, Omar, who ruled Gabon for 41 years until his death in 2009.

Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, who is 83 and has held office since 1982, wrote to Bongo on Monday voicing his “warm congratulations” and wishing him “success in the accomplishment of (his) new mandate.” Senegal’s President Macky Sall also congratulated Bongo, as did Alassane Ouattara, president of Cote d’Ivoire.

“In the delicate period which Gabon is going through, I want to express to you my full encouragement and hope passionately that dialogue and calm will predominate between all the parties,” Ouattara wrote in a statement.

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Source: Aljazeera

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