Afcon 2017: Gabon's Mario Lemina ruled out of tournament
Last updated on .From the section Football
Hosts Gabon will be without Mario Lemina for the rest of the Africa Cup of Nations because of a back injury.
The 23-year-old Juventus midfielder not did not play in Wednesday's 1-1 draw with Burkina Faso.
Lemina's absence is a major blow to the Panthers, whose hopes of progressing at the tournament hang in the balance.
Gabon face Group A leaders Cameroon on Sunday and must win to guarantee their place in the quarter-finals. Defeat would eliminate them.
Burkina Faso, who are level with Gabon on two points - two points behind Cameroon, take on bottom-of-the-group Guinea-Bissau in the other match.
Panthers' coach Jose Antonio Camacho said Johann Obiang would not fit to face Cameroon after the full-back was forced off injured in Wednesday's game.
The match also took its toll on 2013 runners-up Burkina Faso, with star man Jonathan Pitroipa and Jonathan Zongo both suffering injuries that have brought their tournaments to premature ends.
"We have lost Pitroipa, who is a fundamental part of our strategy, and Zongo, who does not play much but was the best player at our pre-tournament training camp," said coach Paulo Duarte.