CAN 2024 Qualifiers: DRC and Mauritania book their places, Gabon eliminated

In Pool I, where no team had qualified or been eliminated at the start of the final day, it was DR Congo and Mauritania who hit the jackpot. The Congolese secured their ticket against Sudan (2-0), just after Mauritania had beaten Gabon (2-1). This was the group designated as the "group of death" after the draw almost 18 months ago. It lived up to all its promises, with a verdict on the final day. Qualified: DR Congo and Mauritania; eliminated: Gabon and Sudan.

The Congolese will be returning to the African Cup of Nations after missing out on the last one in Cameroon, and they have come a long way. Beaten in the first two rounds, the Leopards finished on a high, even topping Pool I on the final day. Sébastien Desabre's men, in a favourable position before welcoming Sudan to Kinshasa, needed only a draw to ensure their qualification. After digesting the 45-minute delay at kick-off due to a surplus of spectators at the Stade des Martyrs, the Leopards were quickly put into orbit by Theo Bongonda's opening goal (8ᵉ). The Spartak Moscow player won his duel in front of the keeper after being ideally served by Charles Pickel, who was honouring his first cap. Gabon go down to defeat in Nouakchott Led by captain Chancel Mbemba, winner of the Prix Marc-Vivien Foé 2023, the Congolese were hardly put in danger by the Sudanese. Fiston Mayele was the logical man to add to their tally, capitalising on the apathy of their opponents' defence to seal the points (87) and put his side on the road to Côte d'Ivoire for good. Earlier, Mauritania had secured their place at CAN 2024 with a 2-0 home win over Gabon. In this match, the suspense was literally killed by the first fact of play: the sending off of the Gabonese goalkeeper as early as the 5ᵉ minute mark. Jean-Noel Amonome, who was impeded by Mauritanian striker Aboubakar Kamara during a clearance, made a bad gesture towards the latter, hitting him in the face. Referee Mustapha Ghorbal had no hesitation and duly issued a red card. The Gabonese, already condemned to victory in Nouakchott to see off Côte d'Ivoire, were now in a bad position with 10 against 11 for the next 85 minutes. The Murabitounes were quick off the mark and opened the scoring with their first real chance, when Hemeya Tanjy, played into the back of the Gabonese defence by Bodda Mouhsine, controlled the ball with his chest and fired past Anthony Mfa Mezui, Amonome's replacement (30th). Stunned, the Panthers folded again just before half-time when a defensive error allowed Aboubakar Kamara to double the lead (42ᵉ). The match was over and Mauritania were content to manage their advantage in the second half against an ineffective Gabon in attack.