The Democratic Republic of Congo opened their 2014 African Nations Championship account with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Mauritania on Tuesday afternoon.
Both teams had a number of chances each to break the deadlock in the first half, but a combination of poor accuracy and alert defending kept it level at the break.
In the end, a penalty from Eddy Emomo was enough to move Congo - perhaps temporarily - to the top of Group D.
Read how the action unfolded below.
Hello football fans! The African Nations Championship continues today with Group D in action. First up is Congo DR against Mauritania.
The more recognised footballing nation Congo are the favourites for this one, but they are by no means odds-on. Both teams will be looking to get their campaign off to the best possible start with a win.
Yesterday all the action came from Group C, with both Ghana and Libya taking wins. Libya are top of the group with their 2-0 victory over Ethiopia, while Ghana beat Congo 1-0.
That is, of course, the other Congo, not the Democratic Republic who kick off in just over 15 minutes' time. Meanwhile, I have the lineups ready, so bear with me while I get them across.
CONGO DR XI: Kidiaba; Mpela, Kilitsho, Miala, Muselenge; Mabidi; Ndombe; Mavuanga; Ngasanya; Basisila; Emomo
MAURITANIA XI: Souleymane; Wade, Sy, Fall, Coulibaly; Baghayogho, Samb, Sidi, Gaye; Bessam, Voullany
The national anthems are being played in front of a very empty stadium here in Polokwane. Mauritania's sounds very ominous.
It does look a strong Congo side, while Mauritania are very much an unknown quantity. That does not mean for sure a Congo win, but I think they will take this one 2-0. We're nearly ready to go.
A minute's applause turned into about 15 seconds - the referee definitely cut it short.
KICKOFF: The sun is beaming here and the men in white, Mauritania, get us underway.
Plenty of passing early on from the men in blue, but they have not been able to feed their forwards as yet. Chikito is involved with a lot in the middle of the park and has seen plenty of it.
Good strength from the young Moussa for Mauritania to win a free kick in the middle of the park, but nothing comes from it in the end. Congo come forward down the right and Fall is well positioned to put the cross behind his own goal.
Still no real chances yet in this one, but now Congo have a free kick on the left hand side, which Mubele will go over to take.
It was met by Emomo in the middle of the box, but he didn't get enough contact on it and glanced it wide. He was marked closely, but still shouldn't have been allowed a header from where he was.
SAVE! Great effort from Moulaye, who looked to catch out Kidiaba from range, but the keeper tipped it over following a bit of a defensive scrap.
Moussa is down getting treatment in the middle, and the game has finally resumed. There was a coming together in a 50-50 but he should be ok.
BOOKING: Yellow card here for Samb, who follows Moussa into the book. It was a late, lazy challenge and it's the right decision from the referee.
Sy is the next player down and there wasn't a lot in it. He might have taken a kick to the hand, but either way he gets the free kick and Mauritania can start again from the back.
CHANCE! What a big chance for Congo! Mbiti runs down the right and his cutback needs to be turned in by Lusadisu, but a body of players got in the way and blocked it clear. Best chance so far.
Pressure is really starting to build on the Mauritania goal. Souleymane punches a corner high into the air but manages to gather it at the second attempt.
Emomo uses just a shade too much physicality there looking to take on a throw-in. He muscled Fall off the ball and the referee has deemed it too strong. I didn't see a lot in it.
Wayward effort there from Lusadisu's left foot. It wasn't a chance, per se, but even so it went well wide and was never testing Souleymane.
Still Congo are doing all the passing and probing, but up to now the Mauritanian defence has not given them anything. Kidiaba, with his very strange hair, tries a punt from just outside his own box but it goes straight through to his opposite number.
Mbidi gives away a free kick wide on the left, but nothing comes of it and then Sy fouls Nkulukuta trying to catch him up. The game needs something to provide a spark.
BOOKING: This referee does like to go to his pocket, and Mubele goes into the book for a tackle from behind in exactly the same spot. It's a brilliant ball in and it just needed a touch from Moussa, but Kidiaba claims. Mbidi then follows his teammate into the book for going up for a header - very harsh, that.
OFF THE POST! That should be 1-0 to Congo! Mbidi crosses from the edge of the box and Nkulukuta is wide open but somehow hits the outside of the post. Souleymane dives into the post to keep it out and is getting treatment.
OFF THE LINE! It could be 1-0 at the other end but for an alert piece of defending from Kimwaki. He anticipated that Voullany was going to beat the keeper one-on-one and was in the right place to hack off the line. It's suddenly come to life, this.
Mbidi has a good chance down the left to put in a cross, but he takes it slightly too far away from his feet and in the end slices a left-footed effort out of play. The urgency has increased in the last 10 minutes.
The crowd who are here are enjoying themselves. Particularly the Mauritanians who would be delighted to get to 0-0 at the break. We're just into stoppage time now, will there be a late opener in the half?
Four minutes of stoppage time have been announced.
A good move from Congo breaks down as the right-back Nkulukuta cannot get an angled ball under control. Despite that, he has played well so far.
Nkulukuta comes forward again but he delayed the pass through the middle and in the end is tackled. He has to go to his right or central there with a pass, but he just held it too long.
HALF TIME: Congo DR 0-0 Mauritania
So it's goalless at the break, but both sides could have scored at least once. Congo have created the better chances but Mauritania have troubled on at least two occasions. It really came to life in the final 10 or so minutes.
The best chance by far fell to Congo's right-back Nkulukuta, and had his unmarked header been on target it would have beaten Souleymane in the Mauritania goal. Instead, he hit the post, but it was just one example of his strong will to get forward throughout the half.
At the other end, Mauritania have twice come very close. First Moulaye tested Kidiaba after a mix-up at the back before Voullany had the keeper beaten, but Kimwaki did well to hack off the line.
The players are coming back out, so we're nearly ready to go again.
Congo get us back underway. I don't think there have been any changes at the break.
The Congolese fans are looking very excited at the start of the half, can their team respond to that? Mauritania have a corner and the first chance of the half.
A ridiculously ambitious effort from Emomo, who goes for a falling overhead kick from an offside position. Needless to say, it went wide and wouldn't have counted.
PENALTY TO CONGO!
BOOKING: Mamadou goes into the book for clipping Mubele as he looked to get through. The striker is off for treatment.
GOAL! Congo DR 1-0 Mauritania (Eddy Emomo, pen)
Emomo sweeps the ball to his left as the keeper goes the other way. A good penalty and he did look very confident. That's the breakthrough that the 2009 champions do just about deserve.
BOOKING: No sign of the bookings dying down as Gueye is too late in a challenge with Mubele.
Some players are warming up on the sidelines, so we could soon be seeing some fresh faces. The goal has toned the atmosphere somewhat, with presumably a lot of the crowd hoping for an upset.
There hasn't been a chance since the goal and on the pitch it's all very even. Congo are still looking better with the ball at their feet but the Mauritanians are still solid at the back.
OFF THE POST! Dangerous position for a free kick for Mauritania on the right of the box. Fall takes it and somehow gets it to loop over Kidiaba but it comes back off the angle of post and bar and falls safe. Very nearly a goal out of the blue.
Really good defending there from Ungenda, who got himself in front of Bessam as he looked to get on to a through ball to let it run out of play.
Half-chance for Kasusula who had got forward, but his powerful strike went wide. Worth a try, I'd say, but off target.
Good passing from Congo sees Lema get the ball just outside the box. He has little on, so tries to take on a couple of defenders and gets pipped by the second. Mauritania are resorting to shots from range here as Moussa puts an effort well off target.
CONGO SUB: Yannick Bangala is on for Lusadisu. That's a defensive move and looks like they will try to protect the 1-0 lead.
MAURITANIA SUB: A chance the other way as Gueye comes off for Niass Amadou.
RED CARD! Moussa, the skipper, is shown his second yellow card for a lazy challenge. This will make things very tough now for Mauritania.
In the wake of that card there was also a substitution, with a different Moussa - Samba Moussa - on.
Mauritania are one up top now it seems as they look to pinch an equaliser on the break. Emomo has a really good chance to to something inside the box at an angle, but he couldn't bring it down and allowed the defender back.
Wade goes down holding his face, but there wasn't anything in it. In fact as Lema puts an arm out towards his chest he hurled himself to the floor. Embarrassing.
Effort from Voullany there as he's not picked up by the Congo defence. However, his effort ends up quite a long way wide. Worth a go, but the time is ticking down for them.
It's the 10 men of Mauritania who are finishing this strongest. A cross is gathered by Kidiaba, but he wants them to break out and they instead pass it about before going all the way back.
CONGO SUB: Final change for Congo as Alain Mukoko comes on for Ilongo.
Four minutes of time will be added on at the end of the game.
It's beginning to look unlikely that Mauritania will get back into this one. They have two minutes to create one big chance, though. Is that long enough?
FULL TIME! Congo DR 1-0 Mauritania
So Congo just about do enough to see off Mauritania, but the latter certainly gave an excellent account of themselves. I'll be back at 5.30pm with the second game in the group, but until then it's goodbye.
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
