The Gabonese government has suspended the country’s national football team, dissolved its coaching staff and excluded star forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from future selection following a disappointing outing at the Africa Cup of Nations.
The decision was announced on national television by Gabon’s Minister of Sports after the Panthers finished bottom of their group and crashed out of the tournament in Morocco.
“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,” acting Sports Minister Simplice Désiré Mamboula said, reacting to Wednesday’s 3–2 defeat to Ivory Coast in Marrakech.
Gabon, coached by former international defender Thierry Mouyouma, had already been eliminated after losing their opening Group F matches to Cameroon and Mozambique. In their final group game, they squandered a two-goal lead to lose to a largely second-string Ivorian side.
Neither Aubameyang nor veteran defender Bruno Ecuele Manga featured in the final match. Aubameyang had returned to French club Olympique de Marseille for treatment on a thigh injury.
Responding on social media platform X, the former African Footballer of the Year distanced himself from the blame, writing: “I think the team’s problems are much deeper than the individual I am.”
At 36, Aubameyang is widely believed to have played his last match for Gabon, alongside 37-year-old former Cardiff City defender Ecuele Manga.
While the dissolution of national teams after poor tournament performances was once common across Africa, such actions have become increasingly rare in recent years due to FIFA’s strong opposition to government interference in football administration.
