The Gabonese government excludes Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and suspends Panthers squad after disappointing Afcon campaign.
In a strong reaction, the Gabonese government have revealed the temporary dissolution of the men's national football team, the termination of the coaching staff, and the expulsion of veteran forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from the team.
This drastic action comes following the team's early elimination at the Afcon tournament in Morocco, where they lost all three matches.
“Given the Panthers’ unacceptable showing at the Africa Cup of Nations, the government has decided to dissolve the coaching staff, disband the national team indefinitely, and remove players Aubameyang and Ecuele Manga,” announced acting sports minister Simplice-Désiré Mamboula.
Group Stage of Failure
Coached by former defender Thierry Mouyouma, Gabon had already been eliminated after suffering defeats in their first two of Group F games to their group rivals.
In their last match, the Panthers surprisingly led over defending champions Côte d’Ivoire before letting in three scores to a rotated Ivorian lineup, eventually losing 3-2 defeat in Marrakech.
Veteran Players Missing
Both Aubameyang and the experienced centre-back Bruno Ecuele Manga featured in the final match.
The former African Footballer of the Year Aubameyang had rejoined his club, Marseille, for treatment on a leg problem.
Answering to the government's decision on a social platform, Aubameyang suggested the challenges ran beyond any single player: “I think the team’s problems are much deeper than the player I am.”
At 36 and thirty-seven years old each, the loss to Mozambique probably was the concluding match for the two veterans, Ecuele Manga.
An Uncommon Action in Modern Football
Suspending a country's squad was once a typical measure in Africa to disappointing results.
However, given that FIFA, football’s world authority, has cracked down against government interference in the sport's administration, such moves have become increasingly rare in today's football landscape.
