The Gabonese and Egyptian national football teams have a history of competitive matches, spanning across World Cup qualifiers and Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. This article delves into their encounters, highlighting key moments and results.
Early Encounters and World Cup Qualifying
Gabon made their international debut on April 13, 1960, in a tournament for French-speaking African countries, losing to Upper Volta 5-4. In 1966, Gabon became a full member of FIFA. Their attempt to qualify for the 1972 Africa Cup of Nations fell at the first hurdle against Ivory Coast. Gabon then entered qualification for the 1972 Olympic football tournament held in West Germany. Following this, Gabon entered qualification for the 1974 FIFA World Cup held in West Germany, and were due to play Cameroon in the First Round the Summer of 1972, however they withdrew before the matches could be played.
The Gabonese do not know what it means to win against the Egyptians, having lost on three occasions. The closest they have come was in the first leg mentioned above. The first leg took place on day two of this group stage, where the match ended in a 1-1 draw. The Gabonese took the lead in the 73rd minute thanks to Allevinah's goal, and everything went in their favor when Omar Gaber was sent off a minute before the goal.
Qatar 2022 World Cup Qualifiers
Welcome to the online TV broadcast of Egypt vs Gabon at the Cairo International Stadium, corresponding to the sixth matchday of the Qatar 2022 World Cup Qualifiers. In a few moments we will share with you the Egypt vs Gabon live starting rosters, as well as the latest information from the Cairo International Stadium. With this matchday to go, Group F has already been decided.
Egypt, with 11 points, will qualify as group winners for the final round of the Qatar 2022 World Cup. However, the Gabonese are eliminated after finishing second in the group with seven points. Egypt qualified for the World Cup at the OMBAKA National Stadium with a 2-2 draw against Angola. Queiroz's men came from 2-0 down after Hélder Costa and N'Zola scored for Angola. The Egyptians put on their overalls and with goals from Elneny and Tawfik tied the match to earn a point that could be worth a World Cup participation.
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Egypt comes into this match with their homework done, as they have already qualified for the final round to participate in the Qatar 2022 World Cup. The draw they got against Angola helped them to get a golden point. Thanks to that point, they are now four points clear of their opponents Gabon with a game to spare. The Egyptians have 11 points from three wins and two draws. After a poor start to the group, Nevau's players started to pick up positive results in the last two matchdays, beating Libya and Angola. The Gabonese are in second place, four points behind the leaders, but no longer have a chance to qualify.
Let's take a look at the rosters of both teams. Both coaches have already made the starting rosters to face each other in this match. Neveu already has a starting eleven. This is about to begin, the players are going to jump onto the pitch to draw lots and the anthems of both teams will be heard. It's Gabon's turn to play. The match kicks off in Alexandria. First play of the match for the home side and it was a penalty. Afsha's goal, Egypt's goal. She converted the penalty into a goal.
Gabon is trying to break through on the right flank. There are no dangerous approaches to either goal. The Egyptian striker had a chance to head in a cross from the left flank. Hegazy brought down Boupendza near the edge of the area. The Egyptian defender is shown the yellow card. Boupendza shot from the edge of the box but the Egyptian goalkeeper reacted well and sent it for a corner. The number seven received the ball inside the box and with space to shoot it into the clouds. End of the first half in Alexandria. Egypt beat Gabon for the moment thanks to Afsha's goal from the penalty spot.
The second half is underway. The ball is rolling on Egyptian soil. Goal by Allevinah. The Liverpool player has just come on. Salah is going to take the free kick. The home side have a good chance to take the lead. Self-goal by Gabon's number six. Afsha gave a through ball to Salah and the defender cut it back but it went in. Bouanga is sent off after bringing down his opponent. The match in Alexandria is over.
HIGHLIGHTS EGYPT v GABON | 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers | Realistic Gameplay
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Africa Cup of Nations
In the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, Gabon upset Cameroon 1-0 and had a good chance of progressing to the quarter-finals after a scoreless draw against Tunisia. However, Gabon lost 2-1 to Zambia as it finished in its group with a three-way tie with Zambia and Cameroon. Gabon only scored twice in the group stage and were eliminated on the goals scored tiebreaker.
In the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, Gabon co-hosted the tournament as it won their group matches: 2-0 against Niger, 3-2 against Morocco, and 1-0 against Tunisia. The second match saw Gabon qualify for its first quarter-final since 1996 in the most dramatic circumstances. Gabon had come back to lead 2-1 only for Morocco to tie the match in early stoppage time. However, on the final play of the game, Gabon scored in the eighth minute of stoppage time, from a direct free kick.
2014 World Cup Qualifying Campaign
Gabon began its 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign in the second round in Group E as it was drawn with Niger, Burkina Faso, and Congo. Despite opening its campaign with a scoreless draw against Niger, Gabon lost 3-0 due to having fielded ineligible player Charly Moussono. After four qualifiers, Gabon scored only one goal, but thanks to an Aubameyang hat-trick on 15 June 2013, Gabon stayed in contention for a play-off berth with a 4-1 victory over Niger.
Additional Africa Cup of Nations Qualifications
For the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, Gabon has been drawn to qualify against Togo. Even though Daniel Cousin scored in each leg against Togo, Gabon missed out on the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations as it lost 3-2 on aggregate. A year later, Gabon played six qualifiers for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations as it was drawn with Burkina Faso, Angola and Lesotho. Despite a stunning 1-1 result in Lesotho in qualifying, Gabon finished ahead of Burkina Faso to top the group as it qualified for the tournament with a game to spare in Angola. In January 2015, Gabon was drawn along with Burkina Faso, Congo and Equatorial Guinea.
Match Statistics and Data
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Here's a summary of some key data points:
| Statistic | Details |
|---|---|
| First Match | April 13, 1960 vs Upper Volta |
| FIFA Membership | Admitted on July 6, 1966 |
| World Cup Qualifications | Never qualified |
| Africa Cup of Nations Qualifications | 9 times (as of 2025) |
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