Sh*ck In Africa: Gabon Bans Aubameyang, Suspends National Team Ahead Of AFCON

Gabon’s Minister of Sports, Simplice-Desire Mamboula, has announced sweeping sanctions following the country’s disappointing performance at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The measures include the banning of senior players Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bruno Ecuele Manga, the suspension of the entire national team, and the dismissal of the coaching staff.

The drastic actions followed Gabon’s 3–2 defeat to defending champions Ivory Coast on Wednesday, sealed by an injury-time goal from Bazoumana Touré. The loss marked the Panthers’ third defeat in as many matches, leaving them bottom of Group F behind Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and Mozambique.

Speaking on Gabonese television, Mamboula described the team’s campaign as disgraceful.

“Given the Panthers’ disgraceful 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,” he said.

Although the video of the announcement was briefly removed from official platforms, it was later reposted on Thursday.

The decision came after deliberations by the Council of Ministers following Gabon’s 3–2 defeat to Mozambique, ranked 102nd in the world, which confirmed the team’s elimination from the tournament. Aubameyang, who plays for Marseille, had returned to France after that match due to a thigh injury.

Reacting to the national team’s poor showing, Gabon’s President, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, said the performance had undermined the country’s sense of identity.

“This has weakened part of our national identity,” the president said in a statement on Wednesday. “The national team highlights two major problems: a lack of method and the dispersion of resources.”

He added that the government would take “strong and structural decisions” to restore discipline, accountability, and ambition in the management of national sports.

However, the government’s intervention could trigger sanctions from FIFA, which strictly prohibits political interference in the affairs of its member football associations.