Gabon unveil AFCON 2017 mascot

Gabon unveiled the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations  (AFCON 2017) mascot, a black panther named Samba, before their match with Sierra Leone in Franceville last Friday.

Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba, FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, and CAF President, Issa Hayatou, were all in attendance at the ceremony.

The mascot sports Gabon's blue and yellow colours and Samba means hello and welcome in local Bantu language.

Gabon will be hosting the continental tournament for the second time.They previously co-organised the competition with Equatorial Guinea in 2012.

The black panther is a national symbol of Gabon and demonstrates the Central African nation's long-term commitment to environmental protection, which includes creating a sanctuary for some of the world's most fragile species.