Early elimination for the hosts threatens to put a dampener on a tournament struggling to fill stadiums and engender fervour among the local population.
Gabon’s opening two matches were both disappointing draws, with Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang -- a talismanic figure for the team -- scoring in each but ultimately failing to make an impact.
A draw might be enough for Gabon but they would need the other Group A match between Burkina Faso and Guinea Bissau, which will be played at the same time in Franceville, also to end in stalemate but with fewer goals.
Burkina Faso have also started the tournament with two 1-1 draws while Guinea Bissau have a single point. They can advance and keep up their fairytale run only if they beat Burkina Faso for what would be only their eighth ever victory in a competitive international since they became FIFA members in 1986.
Ghana qualified for the quarter-finals on Saturday with a second successive 1-0 win, beating Mali with a 20th-minute goal from Asamoah Gyan. Egypt edged Uganda by a single goal in Saturday’s other game.
(Editing by Neville Dalton)
