El Moctar strike lifts Mauritania, leaves CAR on the brink
El Moctar settled a tense Group B contest in the ninth minute, turning in Abdallahi Mahmoud's cross from close range.
It was a goal of real significance for the Mourabitounes: their first of the tournament after a lean start—and only their second-ever victory in CHAN finals history—while leaving CAR facing an early exit after back-to-back defeats. Clinical start, dogged defence
With both sides calling the match 'do-or-die' beforehand, Mauritania struck first. A bright break down the right ended with Mahmoud arcing a teasing ball across the six-yard box; El Moctar arrived at the back post to guide it low into the bottom left corner.
CAR responded with energy and volume of efforts rather than precision.
Dimitri Kogbeto and Nelson Ngaro both saw shots blocked in a flurry on 20 minutes, before goalkeeper Abderrahmane Sarr made the first of several telling interventions—tipping over Flory Yangao's goal-bound header and then watching the follow-up sail over from the resulting corner on 35 minutes.
Mauritania remained compact, happy to absorb pressure and spring forward through the tireless Moulaye Al Khalil and El Moctar.
A Mahmoud header drifted wide from a set piece on 44 minutes as the North-West Africans threatened a second before the interval. CAR pile on the pressure—but Sarr stands tall
Ngato shuffled his pack at half-time, introducing Juvénal Pouguy to raise the tempo in wide areas. The second period quickly became an exercise in Mauritanian resilience.
CAR forced a run of corners around the hour and again in the final quarter, with Miambaye Fourdeau heading wide (55') and Ghislain Mounguide's drive blocked at close range (60').
The cautions mounted for the Beasts—yellow cards for Donald Guesset-Bangagbi (60'), Ange Zoumara (66'), Fourdeau (68') and Kogbeto (89')—as they chased the game and Mauritania looked to manage it.
Nouh El Abd was booked for Mauritania on 75', one of few blotches on an otherwise composed defensive display marshalled by Demini Saleck and Alassane Diop.
Sarr remained unflappable. He parried Kogbeto's low effort on 80 minutes and produced the save of the night in stoppage time, back-pedalling to claw away Ronaldo Zé's central header (90+3').
Even when Melky-Jerede Ndokomandji tried his luck from distance (90+6'), Mauritania's bodies were there to block before Diop won a relieving free-kick. Game management and timely changes
Head coach Artiz López Garai tweaked intelligently. El Mami Tetah and Mohamed Saïd arrived on 58 minutes to freshen the flanks, while Mohamed Hawbott and Mohamed Zweide were introduced late on as legs tired and game states tightened.
Oumar Mangane's stoppage-time cameo helped close the final minutes as Mauritania saw out eight minutes of added time without ceding control.
CAR threw on Vianney Nguindipo and Ndokomandji on 69 minutes and later Ronaldo Zé (78') to flood the box, but the final ball rarely matched the intent.
Their best openings came from crosses and set plays; Mauritania's back line won most of the first contacts and Sarr handled the rest. What it means
The victory breathes life into Mauritania's push for a quarter-final berth and ends a barren scoring run that stretched across their opening two fixtures.
It also underscores their growing game-management under pressure after a heavy possession game against Madagascar and a narrow defeat to hosts Tanzania.
For the Central African Republic, promise remains in the build-up play—particularly from Yangao's delivery and Pouguy's energy—but two defeats from two leave them on the brink.
To have any chance of progress, they will need a win in their final match and help elsewhere.
On a night framed as a 'final' by both coaches, Mauritania found the moment that mattered and then defended it with conviction.
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