Guélor Kanga’s penalty in the second half gave Gabon a 1-0 victory over the CAR at Orlando Stadium.
The CAR pushed for their first victory since Matchday 2, while the Panthers had to endure a nerve-racking match.
Gabon remained resilient in the face of the pressure, finishing second in Group B with 10 points.
The already-deleted CAR continued its winless streak to five games.
Their triumph over Lesotho earlier this year was the only positive aspect of the campaign.