The Gabonese government has suspended the national football team, banned striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and dismissed head coach Thierry Mouyouma following the country’s early exit from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Sports Minister Simplice-Désiré Mamboula announced the severe sanctions after the Panthers concluded their group-stage campaign with a 3–2 defeat to Ivory Coast on December 31, finishing bottom of Group F with three losses from three matches.
Mamboula described the team’s performance in Morocco as “disgraceful” and confirmed that the coaching staff had been dissolved, the national team suspended indefinitely, and veteran defender Bruno Ecuele Manga as well as former Arsenal and Chelsea forward Aubameyang excluded from future selections.
Aubameyang, who missed the final group game after returning to Marseille for treatment on a thigh injury, responded to the decision by stating, “I think the team’s problems are much deeper than the individual I am.”
Gabon had already been eliminated before their match against Ivory Coast, in which they surrendered a two-goal lead.
