Gabon’s sports authorities have taken unprecedented action following the national team’s poor performance at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), announcing the suspension of the team, the dismissal of the coaching staff, and the banning of veteran players Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bruno Ecuele Manga.
The decision comes after a 3-2 defeat to defending champions Ivory Coast on Wednesday, sealed by an injury-time goal from Bazoumana Toure. This marked Gabon’s third consecutive loss in Group F, leaving the Panthers at the bottom of the group behind Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and Mozambique.
“Given the Panthers’ disappointing performance at the AFCON, the government has decided to dissolve the technical staff, suspend the national team until further notice, and remove players Bruno Ecuele Manga and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang,” Sports Minister Simplice-Desire Mamboula stated on national television.
The video of the announcement was briefly removed from official ministry and broadcasting platforms before being republished the following day.
The Council of Ministers had reviewed the national team’s performance after Sunday’s 3-2 loss to 102nd-ranked Mozambique, which officially eliminated Gabon from the tournament. Following that match, Aubameyang returned to French club Marseille due to a thigh injury.
President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema expressed concern over the team’s showing, describing it as weakening part of Gabon’s national identity. “The national team highlights two major problems: the lack of method and the dispersion of resources,” he said, pledging “strong and structural decisions” to restore discipline, responsibility, and ambition in Gabonese sports governance.
However, the government’s intervention could raise concerns with FIFA, which prohibits political interference in the affairs of member associations. It remains unclear how the football world body will respond to Gabon’s sweeping sanctions.
