Wayne Lumbasi
Gabon’s government has taken the unprecedented step of suspending the national football team, dismissing the coaching staff, and banning star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang following a disastrous campaign at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Morocco.
The announcement came after Gabon finished last in their group, losing all three matches, including a heart-breaking 3-2 defeat to Ivory Coast in Marrakech.
Acting Sports Minister Simplice-Désiré Mamboula condemned the team’s performance, describing it as “disgraceful,” and confirmed the exclusion of veterans Aubameyang and Bruno Écuélé Manga. Gabon, coached by former defender Thierry Mouyouma, had already suffered defeats to Cameroon and Mozambique before conceding a late turnaround against the defending champions. Despite taking a 2-0 lead against Ivory Coast, Gabon allowed three late goals and fell to a second-string Ivorian lineup.
Neither Aubameyang nor Écuélé Manga played in the final match, with the striker having returned to his French club, Olympique de Marseille, for treatment on a thigh injury. On social media, Aubameyang, a former African Footballer of the Year, suggested that the team’s problems were “much deeper than the individual I am.”
Historically, disbanding national teams after poor performances was a more common reaction in African football. However, in recent years, FIFA’s strict stance against government interference in football associations has made such drastic measures rare, placing Gabon’s decision under the global spotlight. At 36, Aubameyang may have played his final match for Gabon, while Écuélé Manga, 37, is also likely finished at the international level.
The government has not provided a timeline for when the national team might be reinstated, leaving Gabonese football in a state of uncertainty and prompting questions about the future of its key players and coaching staff.
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