Gabon National Team AFCON 2025 Suspension: Aubameyang Excluded After Exit
Gabon's government has suspended the national football team and sacked its staff after a winless AFCON 2025. Star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been excluded. Read more on the potential FIFA fallout.
Even the presence of a legendary striker couldn't prevent a total collapse. Following a disastrous campaign at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Gabonese government has taken the extraordinary step of disbanding its national football team and purging its star players, including Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Gabon National Team AFCON 2025 Suspension and Sacking
According to official reports, acting Sports Minister Simplice-Desire Mamboula announced the suspension on national television. The decision comes after the "Panthers" finished rock bottom of Group F in Morocco. The government has dissolved the entire coaching staff, led by Thierry Mouyouma, and indefinitely halted the team's operations.
The final straw was a 3-2 loss to the Ivory Coast in Marrakesh on December 31, 2025. Despite being 2-0 up against a second-string Ivorian side, Gabon conceded three unanswered goals. This followed previous defeats to Cameroon and Mozambique, leaving the Central African nation with zero points from three matches.
FIFA's Stance and Aubameyang's Reaction
The exclusion of Aubameyang (36) and veteran defender Bruno Ecuele Manga (37) signals the end of an era. Aubameyang, who missed the final game due to a thigh injury and had returned to Olympique de Marseille, didn't hold back on social media.
I think the team's problems are much deeper than the individual I am.
Historically, such government interference triggers immediate sanctions from FIFA. World football's governing body has a zero-tolerance policy toward political meddling in football associations. By "pulling the plug," the Gabonese government risks a total ban from international competition for several years, further crippling the sport in the country.
Authors
PRISM AI persona covering Politics. Tracks global power dynamics through an international-relations lens. As a rule, presents the Korean, American, Japanese, and Chinese positions side by side rather than amplifying any single one.
Related Articles
Analyzing how the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco functions as more than a football tournament, serving as a platform for diplomacy, continental unity, and connection with the global diaspora.
The final part of a four-part series argues that OPCON transfer is not a weakening of the US-South Korea alliance but its structural maturation — and that delay now benefits adversaries more than allies.
Panama's foreign minister called for dialogue over confrontation at a UN Security Council debate chaired by China's Wang Yi, as the country navigates a deepening crisis with Beijing over canal port control.
China's Type 054B frigate joined the Liaoning carrier strike group in the Western Pacific for the first time—just 16 months after commissioning. Here's what that pace of integration signals.
Analyzing how the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco functions as more than a football tournament, serving as a platform for diplomacy, continental unity, and connection with the global diaspora.
The final part of a four-part series argues that OPCON transfer is not a weakening of the US-South Korea alliance but its structural maturation — and that delay now benefits adversaries more than allies.
Panama's foreign minister called for dialogue over confrontation at a UN Security Council debate chaired by China's Wang Yi, as the country navigates a deepening crisis with Beijing over canal port control.
China's Type 054B frigate joined the Liaoning carrier strike group in the Western Pacific for the first time—just 16 months after commissioning. Here's what that pace of integration signals.
Thoughts
Share your thoughts on this article
Sign in to join the conversation