Hosts Gabon must avoid defeat or face elimination

Football Soccer - African Cup of Nations - Gabon v Guinea-Bissau - Stade de l'Amitie - Libreville, Gabon - 14/1/17 - Supporters ahead of the match between Gabon and Guinea-Bissau. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings

LIBREVILLE (Reuters) - Defeat for hosts Gabon on Sunday will spell the end of their African Nations Cup participation but a win in their crunch Group A game against leaders Cameroon in Libreville will be enough to take them through to the quarter-finals.

Early elimination for the hosts threatens to put a dampener on a tournament struggling to fill stadiums and engender fervour among the local population.