LIBREVILLE, Gabon (AFP) — Tunisia all but sealed a place in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals with a last gasp 2-1 win over debutants Niger here on Thursday.

An entertaining encounter was heading for a 1-1 draw until substitute Issam Jemaa bagged the 2004 titleholders the points in the final minute.

For Niger it meant heartache as they had come so close to creating history with their first ever point in the competition.

The win pushed Tunisia on to six points and left Niger footing Group C with Morocco, who are in action against Gabon later.

Niger made five alterations from the team that swept aside by Gabon, with defender Kofi Dankwae returning from suspension.

The kick-off was given against the backdrop of row upon row of empty seats at the L’Amitie stadium, with the plat du jour for the locals — co-hosts Gabon vs Morocco — due to come later.

Niger started brightly, with the game only seconds old when Maazou latched onto a long ball and charged at the Tunisians goal only for Aymen Mathlouthi to come running out to extinguish any danger.

In the third minute Tunisia took the lead, when Aymen Abdennour found Msakni who deftly rounded several defenders to shoot across the box and into the far corner.

Five minutes later William Tonji Ngounou created history with debutant Niger’s first ever Cup goal.

Mathlouthi came off his line to try and catch a high ball, he missed it completely and Ngounou grabbed his opportunity, diving to head into an empty net.

Another dazzling run by Maazou with Tunisia captain Karim Haggui struggling to keep tabs on him on 30 minutes should have put Niger in front but the Belgian-based striker’s angled shot from the left went wide.

But Jemaa had the last word, to send Tunisia marching on and Niger needing miracles to prolong their stay in central West Africa.