The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations has come to an end in Gabon, with Cameroon crowned champions.

BBC Africa looks back at the tournament. </s> Cameroon's players celebrate with the trophy at the end of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations final football match between Egypt and Cameroon at the Stade de l'Amitie Sino-Gabonaise in Libreville on February 5, 2017. By Steve JORDAN (AFP)

Libreville (AFP) - Cameroon's victory in the Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday means they will be the continent's representative in the Confederations Cup in Russia later this year.

Cameroon, who beat Egypt 2-1 in the final in Libreville, will come up against Chile, Australia and the world champions Germany in Group B of the eight-team competition which runs from June 17 to July 2.

The Indomitable Lions will play Chile in Moscow on June 18 in their opening game of the tournament, which is seen as a warm-up ahead of the World Cup next year. </s> There are a number of potential winners of the 2017 African Cup of Nations, which will be played against a backdrop of tension in Gabon. The top-ranked team in Africa are among the list of those in the field for the finals of the 2017 African Nations Cup who have yet to win the trophy.

Start the conversation, or Read more at World Soccer. </s> Debutantes Guinea-Bissau stunned hosts of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations Gabon after holding them to a surprise 1-1 draw in the opening game of the tournament on Saturday in Libreville.

Juary Soares was the hero for Guinea-Bissau as he grabbed a 90th minute equaliser to make sure both teams shared the spoils.

Borussia Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the first goal of the tournament after getting on the score sheet in the 53rd minute.

Aubameyang's goal means he has now been involved in eight of Gabon's last 11 AFCON goals.

Gabon will hope to bounce back from the opening day disappointment when they face Burkina Faso on Wednesday.

Also on Wednesday, Guinea-Bissau will face Cameroon.

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Also, Like us on facebook </s> Cameroon came from behind to defeat Egypt 2-1 to win the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Gabon.

The Pharoahs took a first-half lead through Mohamed Elneny, who finished from a tight angle after beating goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoua at his near post.

Cameroon lost defender Aldohe Teikeu to injury and he was replaced by Nicolas N’Koulou. The setback did not stop the Indomitable Lions from levelling the contest through N’Koulou, who headed in Benjamin Moukandjo’s cross on the hour mark.

With the game heading into extra time, Vincent Aboubakar, who replaced Robert Ndip Tambe in the second half, controlled a long ball and volleyed past Essam El Hadary.

It is the fifth continental title for the West Africans, who have not won it since 2002.

For Egypt, it is their first defeat in an AFCON final since 2004. </s> The Africa Cup of Nations kicks off later this evening in Gabon and it's time for some deep questions. I think.

Start the conversation, or Read more at Daily Monitor. </s> Cameroon came from a goal down to beat Egypt 2-1 in the final of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Libreville, Gabon.

Arsenal’s forward, Mohammed Elneny edged Egypt ahead on 22 minutes, but Nicolas Nkoulou, on as a substitute after an injury to Adolphe Teikeu, got his team back in the game on 59 minutes. Benjamin Moukandjo swung in the pass, Nkoulou jumped early and beat Ahmed Hegazy. He headed it beyond Essam El Hadary, who was late to dive minutes.

Striker Vincent Aboubakar scored the winning goal on 88 minutes, netting via a right foot volley.

Benjamin Monkanjo was the man of the match. This is the fifth time that Cameroon will win the Nations Cup and it was an unlikely happy ending for a team, that faced cash crunch and saw seven of its regulars withdrawing to play for their European clubs. </s> From kick-off on 14 January to the final on 5 February, The Africa Report will be bringing you all the latest news and views from this year's Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Gabon.

When President Ali Bongo pushed in 2015 for Gabon to host the next Afcon, he is unlikely to have foreseen a build-up quite like this.



Less than six months ago the National Assembly in Libreville was on fire following a disputed election in which the incumbent won by a mere 6,000 votes; supporters of rival Jean Ping were being shot in the street; social media was blocked; and foreign journalists were barred from entering the country. The Bongo family’s 50-year rule over the country appeared under critical threat. This was not a time to welcome the continent for a festival of football.

The European Union election observation mission pointed to an “obvious anomaly” in the results: in Haut-Ogooué province, Bongo officially won 95% of the vote from 99% turnout. In Gabon's eight other provinces, turnout averaged just 48%. After the Constitutional Court upheld the result in September, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) was still concerned enough to look for alternative options – it asked Morocco to host the tournament if conditions in Gabon deteriorated.

Ghana and Algeria could be forgiven a degree of schadenfreude: both countries had presented exceptionally strong bids to host Afcon 2017 and were surprised to lose out to the Gabonese at an often farcical CAF meeting in Cairo two years ago. Algerian Football Federation President, Mohamed Raouraoua, a long-time rival to CAF President Issa Hayatou, openly questioned the validity of the decision. Hayatou was surely confident of a quiet tournament after the chaos of Libya’s 2013 withdrawal and Morocco refusing to host in 2015. Events would prove him wrong.

While the political climate in Gabon has since calmed, there is no doubt the tournament is still coming at a difficult juncture for the government.

The reported $700m cost, with two new stadiums completed in Port-Gentil and isolated Oyem, stands in stark contrast to fresh public spending cuts announced last October as oil revenue continues to fall. The leaked Local Organising Committee (LOC) budget revealed staggering commission fees of $60m and suspiciously high outlay on infrastructure which was meant to have been finished in time for the 2012 tournament. No expense has been spared. The government was forced to deny paying Lionel Messi $3.5m to attend the stone-laying ceremony at the Port-Gentil venue two years ago.

Despite hosting two major tournaments in the past five years, there is still no road between Libreville and Port-Gentil; and in the centre of Libreville, the Stade Omnisport sits unfinished on the site of the former Stade Omar Bongo. Construction began in 2010.

There have been calls for a boycott, but not yet from the official opposition with sway on the coast. Ping is expected to give a speech on the opening day of the tournament. The four stadiums are each parked over 10km outside of each host city, which organisers may hope will forestall protests or crowd trouble.

Either way, the genuine enthusiasm when Gabon co-hosted Afcon with Equatorial Guinea in 2012 is unlikely to be replicated amidst economic stress and simmering discontent. A strong run by Les Panthères, led by talismanic striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, may change that. They have a favourable draw and should make the quarter-finals at the very least. CAF doesn’t like television coverage of empty stadiums and the Gabonese are doing their best to comply, handing out free tickets to schools and encouraging businesses to buy up blocks for their employees.

What those fans will witness is hard to predict. With four different winners since 2010, this is now a competition too close to call. Gone are the days of one-country domination, most recently by Cameroon and Egypt. That reflects both a general rise in standards but also the absence of a truly great generation in any one country.

Côte d’Ivoire, who ended their long wait for another title in 2015, arrive as favourites, alongside Algeria and a promising Senegal. Ghana will be hoping to erase memories of losing on penalties in Malabo two years ago. Nigeria again missed out on qualification, as did South Africa, who had shown signs of youthful advance in 2015. But seven-time winners Egypt are back to contest their first Afcon in seven years. Other subplots include a passionate Uganda side, underdog debutants Guinea-Bissau and Zimbabwe succeeding in spite of organisational chaos at home.

Injuries and withdrawals notwithstanding, the 60th anniversary of the Africa Cup of Nations will boast some of the continent’s leading players. While empty stadiums and protests may yet become the abiding memory of a tournament on the brink of discredit, you can count on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane and Andre Ayew to provide a few vignettes of their own before the close. </s> Gabon held 1-1 by Guinea-Bissau in Africa Cup of Nations opener

Juary Soares grabbed a dramatic late equaliser for debutants Guinea-Bissau as they recovered from a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang strike to hold hosts Gabon to a 1-1 draw in the Africa Cup of Nations opening game.

Gabon appeared to be heading for the victory in Saturday’s Group A curtain-raiser after Borussia Dortmund striker Aubameyang turned the ball in from close range seven minutes into the second half at the Stade de l’Amitie in the capital Libreville.

However, Soares headed home in the 90th minute to earn Guinea-Bissau a memorable point in their first ever match at the continental finals.

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The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations association football tournament begins in Gabon.