Gabon Government Suspends National Team and Bans Aubameyang After AFCON Exit

Following a disastrous campaign at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, the Gabonese government has taken the extraordinary step of imposing an indefinite suspension on the national football team. The decision was announced by acting Sports Minister Simplice-Désiré Mamboula on national television late Wednesday, January 1, 2026. Describing the team’s performance as "disgraceful," the government ordered the immediate dissolution of the entire coaching staff led by manager Thierry Mouyouma and the suspension of all national team activities until further notice.

In a move that effectively ends their international careers, the government also formally expelled two of the nation's most iconic players: all-time leading scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and most-capped defender Bruno Ecuele Manga. The sanctions follow Gabon’s exit at the bottom of Group F after suffering three consecutive defeats to Mozambique, Cameroon, and the Ivory Coast. President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema reportedly viewed the "dishonorable" performance as a blow to the national identity, promising structural decisions to restore discipline and ambition to Gabonese sports.

Aubameyang, who missed the final group game against the Ivory Coast after returning to Marseille for treatment on a thigh injury, responded to the news on social media. The 36-year-old striker remarked, "I think the team's problems are much deeper than the individual I am." While the government's intervention reflects public outrage, such direct political interference may put Gabon at risk of sanctions from FIFA, which strictly prohibits government meddling in the affairs of national football associations.

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