Burkina Faso beat Gabon on penalties to reach AFCON quarter-finals

Limbe (Cameroon) (AFP) – Ismahila Ouedraogo scored the decisive penalty kick as Burkina Faso beat Gabon 7-6 in a dramatic shoot-out to become the first team through to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations after Sunday’s match in Limbe finished 1-1 at the end of extra time.

Burkina Faso appeared to have the victory sewn up in normal time thanks to a first-half goal from captain Bertrand Traore, who had earlier missed a penalty.

Gabon were reduced to 10 men when centre-back Sidney Obissa was dismissed midway through the second half, but they forced extra time as the unfortunate Adama Guira helped the ball into his own net in the first minute of added time.

After there was no scoring in the extra half-hour, penalties went all the way to sudden death and Lloyd Palun became the third Gabon player to miss his kick before Ouedraogo took the Stallions through.

The 2013 runners-up will face Nigeria or Tunisia in the last eight.