The Gabonese government has announced the indefinite suspension of the country’s men’s national football team following its elimination at the group stage of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
The decision was made public by Gabon’s acting sports minister, Simplice-Desire Mamboula, who confirmed that senior players Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bruno Ecuele Manga have been permanently excluded from the squad. In addition, the entire technical crew, led by former international defender Thierry Mouyouma, has been dissolved.
“Given the Panthers’ disgraceful performance at the Africa Cup of Nations, the government has decided to dissolve the coaching staff, suspend the national team until further notice, and exclude players Bruno Ecuele Manga and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang,” the acting minister said.
Gabon endured a difficult campaign in Group F of the 2025 AFCON, losing all three matches. They opened their tournament with a narrow defeat to Cameroon, going down by a single goal. Their second fixture ended in a 3-2 loss to Mozambique. In their final group match, Gabon squandered a two-goal advantage against Cote d’Ivoire and were beaten 3-2.
Aubameyang and Manga did not feature in the final group encounter on Wednesday. Aubameyang had returned to Olympique Marseille earlier in the week after sustaining a thigh injury.
The disappointing AFCON outing followed another setback for Gabon a month earlier, when they were eliminated by Nigeria in the semi-final of the African play-off for the 2026 World Cup. After holding Nigeria to a 1-1 draw in regulation time, Gabon suffered a 4-1 defeat in extra time.
Post A Comment: