Gabon’s government has taken sweeping action after a humiliating Africa Cup of Nations campaign, dissolving the national team and dismissing its leadership.
Sports Minister Simplice-Desire Mamboula announced the bans of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bruno Ecuele Manga, alongside the sacking of the coaching staff.
The drastic measures followed Gabon’s dramatic 3-2 defeat to defending champions Ivory Coast, sealed by Bazoumana Toure’s injury-time winner.
That loss confirmed a third straight defeat, leaving the Panthers bottom of Group F, behind Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and outsiders Mozambique.
Mamboula described the AFCON performance as disgraceful, saying the team would be suspended indefinitely to allow a complete reset.
The announcement aired on Gabonese television late Wednesday, briefly vanished from official platforms, then reappeared hours later amid growing public debate.
The Council of Ministers reviewed the campaign after Sunday’s 3-2 loss to Mozambique, ranked 102nd globally, which ended Gabon’s knockout hopes.
Aubameyang returned to Marseille following that match, citing a thigh injury, as pressure mounted on senior players and officials.
President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema said the team’s collapse had weakened national identity, exposing deep flaws in management and sporting vision.
He pointed to a lack of method and scattered resources, promising strong structural reforms to restore rigour and ambition in national sport.
However, the government’s intervention risks breaching FIFA rules, which strictly prohibit political interference in football governance.
As Gabon seeks renewal through discipline and reform, its path forward may test both national resolve and international football’s red lines.