Mauritania secure 3rd consecutive AFCON appearance with victory over Gabon

Mauritania has secured their place in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations for the third consecutive time after defeating Gabon 2-1 in the final round of qualifiers on Saturday.

Mahmoud Elassal , Saturday 9 Sep 2023,

Mauritania players celebrate beating Gabon and reaching the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final. CAF official twitter account

The Lions of Chinguetti, who had been absent from the continental tournament since its inception in 1957, made their debut in 2019 edition and qualified again in 2021.

Now, they have secured their ticket to Côte d'Ivoire 2023, showcasing their continued progress in African football.

Mauritania's attacker, Hemeya Tanji, opened the scoring in the 30th minute, giving the hosts an early advantage.

The momentum continued for the home team as Olympiacos forward Aboubakar Kamara doubled the lead just three minutes before halftime.

In a late attempt to turn the tide, Gabon's Didier Ndong scored a consolation goal during injury time.

However, it proved to be too little, too late for the visitors as the game concluded with a 2-1 victory for Mauritania.

In their previous two appearances in the prestigious tournament, Mauritania struggled to advance past the group stage, failing to secure a single victory in both editions.

They will be hoping that third time is the charm in Côte d'Ivoire.

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