Congo Vs Gabon Match 23/3/2013 World Cup Qualifying

Congo Vs Gabon Match 23/3/2013 World Cup Qualifying

 Sat, 23 Mar 2013 11:36:26 GMT

Time for the African World Cup Qualifiers and group “E”, match between 101st ranked Congo and 75th ranked Gabon. These two teams have met each other four times before and Congo has the best record with 1 win and 3 draws. Last game ended in a draw back in 2008.

Stade Municipal de Pointe-Noire — Pointe-Noire

Coverage Starts at Kick-off

MATCH REPORT

Congo will look to consolidate their place at the top of Group E when they host Gabon in their 2014 Fifa World cup qualifier at the Stade Municipal in Pointe-Noire on Saturday afternoon.

The Red Devils are currently sitting at the top of the table with six points courtesy of a 1-0 win over Niger and were awarded a 3-0 default win over Burkina Faso after the Stallions were found guilty of fielding an ineligible player.

This means that victory over Gabon could see Kamel Djabour’s side, who were regarded as underdogs in the group, pulling away from the rest of the pack.

“Obviously it is easier to work when there are six points after two matchdays,” said Djabour.

“There was the win against Niger in Pointe-Noire, and we collected two extra points against Burkina Faso on Fifa's decision, after the draw in Ouagadougou.

“This has allowed us to have ambitions in a group that includes teams that have more experience than us.

“It is clear that success against Gabon on 23 March would bring us closer to qualifying for the final round. We want to continue to dream.”

Gabon on the other hand are currently in third place on the table with three points and will look at this match as an opportunity to catch up with the leaders.

The Panthers started their campaign with a disappointing 3-0 loss to Niger but revived their chances with a narrow 1-0 win over Burkina Faso.

Paulo Duarte is confident that he will send a strong squad to Pointe-Noire, but he is also aware of the challenges they will face playing away from home.

“We are going to Congo with the desire to get a good result,” said Duarte. “This is a very important game; the players are aware.