Gabon captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang announced his decision to step away from the national team. He stated that he felt humiliated due to his exclusion and subsequent reinstatement in the squad following the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations tournament held in Morocco.
Aubameyang, who is the top scorer in the history of 'The Pacifics', was named by the Gabonese government as responsible for the team's failure at AFCON. In a television interview, the 37-year-old footballer said: 'I was humiliated and disgraced, even though I played in AFCON with an injury.' He added that this was the last straw, and he prefers to stop at this point.
Gabon was eliminated from the AFCON group stage after three defeats, the last of which was against Costa de Mar. At the time, Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema stated that this was 'part of our national identity that has weakened.'
The government dismissed the coaching staff, suspended the team's activities until further notice, and excluded Aubameyang and 38-year-old Bruno Ekuele Mangu from the squad. The suspension of these experienced players caused a wave of outrage among Gabonese fans.
Aubameyang, who previously played as one of Europe's top forwards for Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal, noted that the team's problems are much deeper than himself. The Gabonese forward set himself, likely his last challenge in Europe, moving from Marseille to Deportivo La Coruña, which recently returned to La Liga after a long absence.
Gabon's new coach, Sébastien Mine, must now prepare the team for the first qualifiers this month for the next AFCON, operating without Aubameyang's participation. Gabon is in Group A alongside Morocco, the World Cup finalist, as well as Niger and Lesotho.