The Gabonese government has indefinitely suspended its men’s national team following the group-stage exit from the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
Announcing the sanction, Simplice-Desire Mamboula, the
country’s acting sports minister, said veterans Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and
Bruno Ecuele Manga have been kicked off the team permanently.
The minister also dissolved the team’s technical crew,
headed by Thierry Mouyouma, a former national team defender.
“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,” the acting minister said.
Gabon lost all three games in Group F of the 2025 AFCON.
They were defeated by Cameroon by a lone goal in their first game. Mozambique
then beat them 3-2 in their second match. The final group match was even more
dramatic. Gabon surrendered a 2-0 lead against Cote d’Ivoire and lost 3-2.
However, neither Aubameyang nor Manga played the last group
game on Wednesday. Aubameyang returned to Olympique Marseille earlier in the
week after a thigh injury.
A month before the AFCON, Gabon also lost to Nigeria in the
semi-final of the African play-off for the 2026 World Cup. They had held on for
a 1-1 draw in regular time before capitulating to a 4-1 defeat in extra time.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com