Gabon started the first half strongly but Morocco fought back and took a deserved lead on 24 minutes when captain Houssine Kharja shot past goalkeeper Didier Ovono’s left hand and into the bottom corner of the net.

A master stroke second half substituition from coach Gernot Rohr brought it veteran striker Daniel Cousin as the match went in favour of the home crowd. The last quarter of the game was action packed as Pierre Emerick Aubameyang brought the Panthers on level terms before setting up Cousin two minutes later for the second goal. However Morooco hang on with a last minute penalty transformed by Kharja for his brace and it seemed things were going to stay that way. But a last gasp free kick from Bruno Mbanagoye Zita beat the Moroccan goalkeeper and bagged all three points for the hosts who join Tunisia in the next round as Morocco crash out.