Johannesburg // Bundesliga star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang converted his penalty shootout kick Saturday as Gabon became the first team to reach the third round of African 2018 World Cup qualifying.
Gabon beat Mozambique 4-3 on penalties following extra time in Libreville after Gabon won 1-0 to level the second-round tie at 1-1 on aggregate.
Aubameyang, who has scored 22 goals from 20 appearances for Borussia Dortmund in all competitions this season, missed the 1-0 away loss to Mozambique three days ago due to injury.
He did not score during the 120-minute second leg, but set up the only goal for Malick Evouna after four minutes at Stade L’amitie Sino Gabonaise.
A crowd that included President Ali Bongo Ondimba saw Aubameyang dart down the left side and cross for Evouna to calmly fire the ball past goalkeeper Soarito and several defenders.
Soarito produced several fine saves before Mozambique came close to equalising seconds from the end of regular time when Gildo struck the base of the post..
After 30 tense, unexciting minutes of extra time, Gabon goalkeeper Didier Ovono saved two shootout kicks before Aubameyang hammered his high into the left corner.
A further five second legs are scheduled for Sunday and 14 for Tuesday.
Updated African 2018 World Cup second round qualifying results Saturday
Second leg
At Libreville
Gabon 1 (Evouna 4) Mozambique 0 aet
Gabon win 4-3 on penalties after 1-1 aggregate tie
First legs
At Addis Ababa
Ethiopia 3 (Gibeto 41, Fekadu 82, Bekele 90+1) Congo Brazzaville 4 (Bifouma 43, Nguessi 63, Ndinga 75, Binguila 81)
At Dar es Salaam
Tanzania 2 (Maguri 43, Samatta 55) Algeria 2 (Slimani 72, 75)
At N’Djamena
Chad 1 (N’Douassel 73) Egypt 0
At Francistown, Botswana
Botswana 2 (Gadibolae 14, Mogorosi 23) Mali 1 (Sow 56)
Played Friday
At Antananarivo
Madagascar 2 (Andriatsima 27, Rakotoharimalala 59) Senegal 2 (Diouf 71, Mane 81)
At Mitsamiouli, Comoros
Comoros 0 Ghana 0
At Nairobi
Kenya 1 (Olunga 9) Cape Verde 0
At Sfax, Tunisia
Libya 1 (Saleh 48-pen) Rwanda 0
Note: post-Moamer Kadhafi-era violence prevented fixture being staged in Libya
At Benguela, Angola
Angola 1 (Gelson 2) South Africa 3 (Rantie 14, Gabuza 20, Jali 82-pen)
At Niamey
Niger 0 Cameroon 3 (M’bia 36, Aboubakar 39, Salli 40)
At Monrovia
Liberia 0 Ivory Coast 1 (Cyriac 44)
At Nouakchott
Mauritania 1 (N’Diaye 22) Tunisia 2 (Khazri 62, Chikhaoui 68)
At Lobamba, Swaziland
Swaziland 0 Nigeria 0
Played Thursday
At Bujumbura
Burundi 2 (Amissi 38, 83) Democratic Republic of Congo 3 (Bolasie 5, Mubele 86, 88)
At Windhoek
Namibia 0 Guinea 1 (N. Keita 27)
At Cotonou
Benin 2 (Sessegnon 45-pen, Bello 84) Burkina Faso 1 (Nakoulma 51)
At Lome
Togo 0 Uganda 1 (Ochaya 40)
At Agadir, Morocco
Morocco 2 (El Arabi 30, Bammou 66) Equatorial Guinea 0
Played Wednesday
At Maputo
Mozambique 1 (H. Pelembe 55) Gabon 0
At Merowe, Sudan
Sudan 0 Zambia 1 (Kalengo 28)
Second legs: Nov 15, 17
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