January 01, (THEWILL) — Gabon’s government has suspended the national football team following their elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco.
The decision includes dismissing the coaching staff and excluding Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bruno Ecuele Manga from future selection.
Acting sports minister Simplice-Desire Mamboula announced the measures on television after Gabon’s 3-2 defeat to Ivory Coast on Wednesday.
“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,” he said.
Gabon finished bottom of Group F after losing all three matches under coach Thierry Mouyouma.
The final match saw Gabon squander a 2-0 lead against defending champions Ivory Coast, conceding three goals to a second-string opposition side.
Neither Aubameyang nor Ecuele Manga featured in the fixture, with the former having returned to Olympique de Marseille for treatment on a thigh injury. The 36-year-old responded to his exclusion on social media platform X, stating: “I think the team’s problems are much deeper than the individual I am.”
The suspensions likely mark the international retirement of both players, with Aubameyang’s last appearance coming in the defeat to Mozambique and the 37-year-old Ecuele Manga also absent from the Ivory Coast match.
Both veterans had already been eliminated from tournament contention after opening losses to Cameroon and Mozambique before their final group fixture.
Disbanding national teams was once common in Africa following poor tournament performances, but such measures have become rare since FIFA adopted a firm position against government interference in football association operations.
The governing body typically sanctions federations that allow political influence in sporting decisions, making Gabon’s actions an unusual development in contemporary African football administration.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
