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Mozambique ended a 40-year wait for victory at the Africa Cup of Nations as they beat Gabon 3-2 in Agadir.
Goals from Faisal Bangal, Geny Catamo and Diogo Calila earned the southern African side a deserved victory in which they were led by 42-year-old winger Elias Pelembe. It is their first win at the continental finals since their debut in 1986 in what was their 17th game.
The result means Gabon are facing an early exit from the tournament having lost their opening two games in Group F. Mozambique have three points from two matches, the same number as Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon, who meet later on Sunday. If that match ends in a draw, Gabon will be eliminated.
Gabon stayed in the contest thanks to goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alex Moucketou-Moussounda, but back-to-back defeats mean their hopes of reaching the last 16 are hanging by a thread with a match against the defending champions, Côte d’Ivoire, to come on Wednesday.
Riyad Mahrez scored a first-half penalty as Algeria sealed their place in the knockout rounds with a 1-0 victory against Burkina Faso in their Group E encounter. Algeria have six points and will win the group as they cannot be overhauled by either Burkina Faso or Sudan due to the head-to-head rule.
Algeria were awarded a penalty just past the 20-minute mark when Rayan Aït-Nouri was foulced in the box by Ismahila Ouédraogo, and Mahrez made no mistake as he sent Hervé Koffi in the Burkina Faso goal the wrong way. Mahrez extended his record as Algeria’s all-time leading scorer at the Cup of Nations with his ninth goal and is also the leading scorer in this edition so far having scored twice in the opening 3-0 win against Sudan.
Burkina Faso came close to an equaliser just before half-time when Pierre Kaboré’s close-range header came back off the post and Algeria were able to scramble the ball to safety.
Koffi was busy in the Burkina Faso goal and saved from Mohamed Amoura, before Ibrahim Maza forced another good stop and then scuffed a shot wide of the target. Luca Zidane, son of France’s Zinedine, showed good reactions to keep out a Lassina Traoré header late on as Burkina Faso came close to an equaliser.
Sudan profited from a late own goal to beat Equatorial Guinea 1-0 in Casablancaand pick up their first points of the tournament.
Mohamed Eisa’s free kick in the 74th minute was cleared by Luís Asué but struck teammate Saúl Coco and ricocheted back past the despairing dive of goalkeeper Jesús Owono.
Sudan joined Algeria and Burkina Faso, playing later on Sunday in Rabat, on three points in Group E while Equatorial Guinea, the surprise packages of the last two Africa Cup of Nations, are on the brink of elimination after successive losses.
Sudan had an early opportunity to go ahead but Eisa stabbed a loose ball wide. Eisa went close again in the 60th minute when his shot was blocked just short of the goalline by Esteban Orozco.
Pedro Obiang had Equatorial Guinea’s two best chances of the first half at Stade Mohamed V but miscued an effort in front of goal before, on the stroke of halftime, heading onto the roof of the net with goalkeeper Monged El Neel out of position.
Veteran striker Emilio Nsue had a late chance to equalise but hit his effort narrowly wide meaning the small Spanish-speaking nation could be eliminated later on Sunday if Algeria and Burkina Faso draw in Rabat.
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This story will be updated
