Gabon’s Minister of Sports has announced sweeping sanctions following the national team’s disastrous outing at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), including 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 crew.
The drastic measures were confirmed late Wednesday by Sports Minister Simplice-Desire Mamboula during a televised address, after Gabon suffered a 3–2 defeat to defending champions Ivory Coast. An injury-time goal by Bazoumana Toure sealed the Panthers’ third consecutive loss at the tournament.
Gabon finished bottom of Group F with zero points, ending below Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and Mozambique. Their elimination had already been confirmed following Sunday’s 3–2 loss to 102nd-ranked Mozambique.
“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,” Mamboula said.
Shortly after the broadcast, the video of the announcement was taken down from official government and television platforms, before being reposted on Thursday.
The Council of Ministers reportedly reviewed the team’s performance following the Mozambique defeat, which effectively ended Gabon’s hopes of progressing to the knockout stage. Aubameyang subsequently returned to his French club, Marseille, citing a thigh injury.
Reacting to the situation, Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema described the AFCON campaign as a blow to national pride.
“This has weakened part of our national identity,” the president said in a statement released on Wednesday. “The national team highlights two major problems: the lack of method and the dispersion of resources.”
Nguema pledged “strong and structural decisions” aimed at restoring discipline, accountability, and ambition in the management of national sports.
However, the government’s intervention could place Gabon at risk of sanctions from FIFA, which strictly prohibits political interference in the administration of football associations.
