Burkina Faso booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations after winning their Round of 16 fixture against Gabon 7-6 on penalties following 1-1 draw in normal time at Limbe Stadium on Sunday.
After missing from the penalty spot, Bertrand Traore, who turns out for Premier League side Aston Villa, made amends to score the opener for the Stallions in the 28th minute but midfielder Adama Guira scored into his own net in stoppage time to help the Panthers take the game to extra time.
It was Ismahila Ouedraogo who stepped up to decide the game after he drilled home the winning penalty to send the Stallions into the last eight.
However, it was the Panthers who started the game on a positive note and they should have taken the lead with only four minutes played when Lloyd Palun swung the ball into Burkina Faso’s danger zone but Jim Allevinah saw his powerful header go inches wide.
In the seventh minute, Gabon’s Allevinah was the first player to be booked by Moroccan referee Jiyed Redouane after his clumsy tackle on Traore and two minutes later, Burkina Faso’s Adama Guira was also booked for an infringement.