AFCON 2025: Aubameyang Reacts As Gabon Govt Sacks Him, Suspends National Team After Group Exit

Gabon’s embarrassing outing at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has sparked a major crisis back home, with the government sacking star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and suspending the national team following their early elimination in Morocco.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

The decision was announced on Wednesday by Gabon’s acting Sports Minister, Simplice-Désiré Mamboula, after the Panthers finished bottom of their group with three consecutive defeats.

Government Pulls the Plug

Speaking on national television after Gabon’s dramatic 3–2 loss to Ivory Coast in Marrakesh, Mamboula confirmed that the government had taken drastic measures, including:

Immediate suspension of the Gabon national team
Dissolution of the entire coaching crew
Exclusion of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and veteran defender Bruno Ecuele Manga

“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 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bruno Ecuele Manga,” Mamboula said.
AFCON Campaign Ends in Disaster

Gabon, coached by former defender Thierry Mouyouma, had already crashed out of the competition after losses to Cameroon and Mozambique before squandering a 2–0 lead against defending champions Ivory Coast, conceding three late goals to end their campaign in humiliation.

Neither Aubameyang nor Ecuele Manga featured in the final group game. Aubameyang had earlier returned to Olympique de Marseille for treatment on a thigh injury.
Aubameyang Fires Back

Reacting on social media platform X, the former African Footballer of the Year rejected suggestions that he was the root of Gabon’s problems.

“I think the team’s problems are much deeper than the individual I am.”

At 36, Aubameyang is widely believed to have played his final match for Gabon, with 37-year-old Ecuele Manga also nearing the end of his international career.
FIFA Sanctions a Real Possibility

While disbanding national teams was once common in African football, FIFA’s strict stance on government interference now makes such actions rare, raising fears that Gabon could face sanctions if the suspension is not lifted.