Played
July 29, 2012 2:30 PM BST
City of Coventry Stadium — Coventry
Referee: B. Williams
Attendance: 28171
July 29, 2012 2:30 PM BST
City of Coventry Stadium — Coventry
Referee: B. Williams
Attendance: 28171
Mexico - Gabon Preview: Both sides looking for first win after being held in their Olympic openers
All four teams sit level on a single point in Group B after the first round of games so The Panthers and El Tricolor must avoid defeat to stay in with a chance of progressing
By Husmukh Kerai
Getty Images
| PROBABLE LINEUPS |
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MEXICO
 Jose de Jesus Corona Jimenez , Reyes, Mier, Chavez Salcido, Herrera, Aquino, Ponce Dos Santos, Fabian |
GABON
 Ovono Dinda, Ndong, Engonga, Ndoumbou Madina, Tandjigora, Bouaaoughou, Obiang Aubameyang, Nono |
All of Mexico's players in coach Luis Fernando Tena's squad are home based apart from Tottenham midfielder Giovani Dos Santos.
Former Fulham and PSV defender Carlos Salcido is one of Mexico's over-aged players and will provide much needed top-flight experience to the youthful side.
Gabon are reigning Confederation of African Football Under-23 champions and are making their debut at the Olympic Games.
Goalkeeper Didier Ovono, FC Lorient’s defender Bruno Ecuele Manga and Charly Moussono of Missile FC are the three over-aged players selected by coach Claude Mbourounot.
| DID YOU KNOW? |
Gabon are making their first ever appearance at the Olympic Games.
- The Panthers made it past African heavyweights Ivory Coast, Senegal and Morocco on their way to their CAF under-23 triumph.
- Emmanuel Ndong Mba is the only player to score more than a single goal in Gabon's qualifying campaign.
- Former Fulham player Carlos Salcido (pictured right) is Mexico's most experienced player with 103 international appearances to his name.
- The majority of Luis Fernando Tena's 18-man squad is made up from Chivas de Guadalajara players.
- Mexico beat Honduras in the final of the Olympic qualifying tournament.
- Mexico hosted their very own Olympic Games in 1968.
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Field Report
Reader's Predictions
Top 3 Predictions
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Mexico U-23 2-0 Gabon U-23
- 24.71 %
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Mexico U-23 2-1 Gabon U-23
- 18.82 %
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Mexico U-23 3-0 Gabon U-23
- 12.35 %
| Olympic Games (OLY) | 29 Jul 2012 | Mexico U-23 2 - Gabon U-23 0 |
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Mexico U-23
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| 11 Aug 2012 | Brazil Under 23 1 - Mexico U-23 2 | OLY |
| 7 Aug 2012 | Mexico U-23 3 - Japan Under 23 1 | OLY |
| 4 Aug 2012 | Mexico U-23 4 - Senegal U-23 2 | OLY |
| 1 Aug 2012 | Mexico U-23 1 - Switzerland U-23 0 | OLY |
| 29 Jul 2012 | Mexico U-23 2 - Gabon U-23 0 | OLY |
Gabon U-23
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| 1 Aug 2012 | South Korea Under 23 0 - Gabon U-23 0 | OLY |
| 29 Jul 2012 | Mexico U-23 2 - Gabon U-23 0 | OLY |
| 26 Jul 2012 | Gabon U-23 1 - Switzerland U-23 1 | OLY |
| 10 Dec 2011 | Gabon U-23 2 - Morocco U-23 1 | OCaf |
| 6 Dec 2011 | Senegal U-23 0 - Gabon U-23 1 | OCaf |
| 12 | J. Corona | Goalkeeper |
| 21 | H. Mier | Defender |
| 5 | D. Chavez | Midfielder |
| 11 | J. Aquino | Midfielder |
| 23 | D. Reyes | Defender |
| 15 | N. Vidrio | Defender |
| 16 | M. Ponce | Defender |
| 3 | C. Salcido | Defender |
| - | M. Fabián | Midfielder |
| 6 | H. Herrera | Midfielder |
| 18 | O. Peralta | Striker |
| 12 | A. Rodriguez | Goalkeeper |
| 16 | I. Jiménez | Defender |
| 17 | N. Araujo | Defender |
| 15 | Jorge Enríquez | Striker |
| - | J. Cortés | Striker |
| 10 | Giovani dos Santos | Striker |
| 18 | R. Jiménez | Striker |
| 1 | D. Ovono | Goalkeeper |
| - | Muller Dinda | Defender |
| - | H. Ndong | Defender |
| - | F. Engonga | Midfielder |
| 32 | Alexander Ndoumbou | Midfielder |
| 14 | Lévy Clément Madinda | Midfielder |
| 12 | Merlin Tandjigora | Midfielder |
| - | C. Boussoughou | Midfielder |
| - | Landry Jerry Obiang Obiang | Midfielder |
| 9 | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Striker |
| - | Axel Méyé Me Ndong | Striker |
| - | Anthony M'Fa | |
| - | Stevy Guevane Nzambè | Defender |
| 4 | R. Ebanega | Defender |
| - | E. Ndong | Midfielder |
| - | Samson Mbingui | Midfielder |
| - | André Biyogho Poko | Midfielder |
| - | Allen Nono | Striker |
| Giovani dos Santos | |
| Position: | Striker |
| Squad Number: | 10 |
| Games | Goals | YC | RC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
The talented Tottenham forward had to wait until the 66th minute to get on in La Tri's opening match against South Korea but helped Mexico get back into the match. The tricky attacker did not play a part in the qualifying campaign but will be integral to his country's chances of getting out of the group.
| Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | |
| Position: | Striker |
| Squad Number: | 9 |
| Games | Goals | YC | RC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
The Saint-Etienne man has represented France at Under-21 level but made his international debut for Gabon in 2009 and became a key member of the side that reached the quarter-final of the 2012 African Cup of Nations. He scored Gabon's equaliser against Switzerland in their opener at the Sports Direct Arena.
As defending CAF Under-23 champions this Gabon side has a nucleus of players who know how to play as a unit and they may give the Mexicans plenty to think about. Tena's side were outplayed for large periods of the match against South Korea and were fortunate to leave with a point, they will need improve significantly in their next two games.
Results
Times In BST
Live
Final
scheduled
Suspended
Cancelled
Postponed
Match News
Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Leandro Damião Striker Internacional |
6 | 0 |
|
Moussa Konaté Striker Krasnodar |
5 | 0 |
|
O. Peralta Striker Santos Laguna |
4 | 0 |
|
Giovani dos Santos Striker Mallorca |
3 | 1 |
|
Neymar Striker Santos |
3 | 1 |
