Marrakech, Morocco — Gabon’s government has announced the suspension of the national football team, the dismissal of head coach Thierry Mouyouma, and the exclusion of senior players Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bruno Ecuele Manga following a disastrous Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign.
Speaking in a televised address, acting Minister of Sports Simplice-Désiré Mamboula confirmed the drastic measures after Gabon finished bottom of their group and were eliminated from the tournament in Morocco without a single point.
“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,” Mamboula said following Wednesday’s 3–2 defeat to Ivory Coast in Marrakech.
Gabon had already been knocked out of the competition after losing their opening Group F matches to Cameroon and Mozambique. In their final group game, the Panthers surrendered a 2–0 lead against defending champions Ivory Coast, conceding three goals to lose against a largely second-string Ivorian side.
Neither Aubameyang nor veteran defender Ecuele Manga featured in that final match. Aubameyang, 36, had returned to his French club Olympique de Marseille for treatment on a thigh injury, while Manga, 37, was also absent.
Reacting to the government’s decision, Aubameyang took to social media platform X, distancing himself from sole responsibility for the team’s struggles.
“I think the team’s problems are much deeper than the individual I am,” he wrote.
The former African Footballer of the Year is widely believed to have played his final match for Gabon in the loss to Mozambique, a sentiment echoed around the national team regarding Ecuele Manga’s international future.
While disbanding or suspending national teams was once a common response to poor tournament performances in Africa, such actions have become increasingly rare. World football governing body FIFA has taken a firm stance against government interference in football associations, with sanctions often imposed on countries that violate its statutes.
It remains unclear how long Gabon’s national team will remain suspended and what implications the move could have for the country’s football administration going forward.
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