The Gabonese enjoyed the better of the first half but fell behind after 48 minutes when Prince Oniangue stabbed the Red Devils in front from a corner.
Charlton Athletic's Frederic Bulot, who had a fine early volley saved, wasted Gabon's best chance, missing an open goal midway through the second half.
A draw against Burkina Faso on Sunday would take Congo to the quarter-finals.
Whoever wins between Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in Bata on Sunday will also qualify for the last eight.
Gabon dominated the early exchanges, playing with confidence after their 2-0 win over Burkina Faso on Saturday.
Just four minutes in, Bulot tested Congo goalkeeper Christoffer Mafoumbi with a blistering volley from the edge of the box, after Malick Evouna teed him up at the end of a fine move.
Fifteen minutes later, Evouna was played in by the influential Levy Madinda and was unlucky to see his effort hit Maffoumbi before ricocheting off Congo defender Dimitri Bissiki and rolling inches wide.
All eyes may have been on Gabon's Borussia Dortmund star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang but as he struggled from a wide position, Madinda grabbed the limelight and the bustling midfielder almost gave the Panthers the lead.
Neatly flicking the ball over the head of one defender inside the box, he dragged wide just ahead of the break.
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