The second round of group stage games commenced with edgy Group A clashes that did little to separate the teams in the Group, with all four sides still in which a chance of making the next round.
The early game saw hosts Equatorial Guinea taking on 2013 finalists Burkina Faso, a game that ended in a sterile goalless draw. Gabon took on Congo in the second game, and Claude Le Roy’s side emerged victorious with a single goal from Prince Oniangue to put them on top of the group.
The hosts played out a 1-1 draw in their first game, and were thus hoping to take a commanding position with a win; but Burkina Faso themselves needed a positive result and impressively matched Equatorial Guinea throughout the 90 minutes.