In an unprecedented step, Gabon's authorities have revealed the immediate suspension of the Panthers squad, the dismissal of the team's coaches, and the exclusion of star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from the team.
This radical decision comes after the team's early elimination at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where they lost all three matches.
“Given the Panthers’ shameful showing at the Africa Cup of Nations, the government has decided to terminate the coaching staff, freeze the national team indefinitely, and exclude players the two veteran players,” said acting sports minister Simplice-Désiré Mamboula.
Group Stage of Disappointment
Coached by former defender Thierry Mouyouma, Gabon faced early exit after losing their first two of Group F contests to Mozambique and Cameroon.
In their final outing, the Panthers surprisingly led over title holders Côte d’Ivoire before surrendering their advantage to a rotated Ivorian lineup, succumbing to a 3-2 defeat in Marrakech.
Key Figures Absent
Neither Aubameyang nor the experienced centre-back Bruno Ecuele Manga played in the final match.
The ex-continental player of the year Aubameyang had gone back to his club, Marseille, for recovery from a thigh injury.
Answering to the measures on his account, Aubameyang suggested the problems ran deeper than any one person: “I think the team’s problems are far more profound than the person I am.”
At thirty-six and thirty-seven years old respectively, the defeat by Mozambique likely marked the concluding appearance for both Aubameyang and Ecuele Manga.
A Rare Measure in Contemporary Soccer
Suspending a national team was previously a typical measure in Africa to disappointing results.
However, since FIFA, football’s international federation, has taken a hard stance against state intervention in soccer federations, such decisions have become increasingly rare in recent years.
