Bertrand Traore came on as a substitute and scored the winning goal from the penalty spot in the 96th minute as Burkina Faso beat Mauritania 1-0 in their opening game of the African Cup of Nations on Tuesday.
The game in Bouaké was expected to end in a goalless draw until Issa Kabore was fouled by Mauritanian defender Nouh El Abd in the penalty area in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
When the Moroccan referee was called to check the tackle on the pitchside monitor, he opted for a penalty and Traore, who has only played six games for Aston Villa this season, hit the goalkeeper in the opposite direction.
With this result, AFCON 2013 runners-up Stallions sit at the top of Group D after rivals Algeria and Angola were held to a 1-1 draw on Monday.
Burkina Faso’s next match is against Algeria in Bouake on Saturday.
Mauritania, who are participating in the Nations Cup for the third consecutive year, are yet to win in seven games in this tournament.