Host Gabon made a disappointing exit from the African Nations Cup Sunday, foiled by the woodwork in the final minute as it missed out on the win over Cameroon which would have allowed it to grab a dramatic place in the quarterfinals. Instead Burkina Faso and Cameroon advance from Group A, leaving Gabon with the ignominy of becoming the first home nation to be eliminated in the first round since Tunisia in 1994. Burkina Faso topped the group on goal difference after a 2-0 victory over GuineaBissau in Franceville Sunday with a fortuitous own goal from Rudinilson Silva and a second-half strike from Bertrand Traore, the Chelsea striker on loan at Ajax Amsterdam. Cameroon also finished on five points after the goalless draw with Gabon, whose three games were all drawn. "It is very sad for all of us but each player gave 100 percent," said Gabon captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who missed a glorious chance in the opening five minutes at Stade L'Amitie in Libreville. The host started furiously and finished with a late flourish that saw Denis Bouanga strike the upright deep in stoppage time and the rebound from Didier Ndong saved by Cameroon's 21-year-old goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa, who burst into tears at the end of the game as his teammates enveloped him in celebrations. Cameroon now plays Senegal in the quarterfinals but Burkina Faso's opponent will be decided when the standings in Group B are settled Monday. Senegal, already guaranteed top place, plays Algeria in Franceville in a quarterfinal Saturday while Tunisia needs just one point from its match with Zimbabwe in Libreville to set up a weekend meeting with Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso went ahead early against GuineaBissau as center back Rudinilson put the ball in his own net in the 11th minute and Traore scored on the counter early in the second. But GuineaBissau again proved competitive as it concluded its maiden appearance on the Nations Cup stage. It is the first time that four-time winner Cameroon has progressed to the quarterfinals since 2010. Its success comes despite eight players turning down a call-up last month, leaving coach Hugo Broos with what he called a B-team for the tournament. "It is a young team that wants to play for the country, not just come because they have been called up by the coach. Now anything is possible," he said after Sunday's game.
