Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been dramatically ousted from the Gabon national team by the country’s own government – who have suspended the entire squad and coaching set-up after their miserable AFCON elimination.
The nation’s acting sports minister Simplice-Desire Mamboula branded the team’s performance ‘disgraceful’ in the wake of their 3-2 defeat to Ivory Coast as he made the announcement on live television.
‘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,’ he said.
‘Furthermore, the Government calls on the Gabonese Football Federation to assume all its responsibilities.’
Gabon were two goals to the good in the first-half of the Group F tie on Wednesday but capitulated in the second 45, meaning they ended the tournament in Morocco with three defeats from three.
Former Cardiff star Ecuele Manga was dropped against Ivory Coast by head coach Thierry Mayouma, who has also now left his post, while Aubameyang returned to his club Marseille with a thigh injury before the match.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been dramatically ousted from the Gabon national team by the nation’s government
Former Cardiff star Bruno Ecuele Manga (right) has also been ‘excluded’ from the national side
Aubameyang played in both of Gabon’s other defeats, scoring in their 3-2 loss against Mozambique and coming off the bench during their 1-0 loss to Cameroon.
The former Arsenal and Chelsea striker is his nation’s top-ever scorer but has likely played his last game for the side at the age of 36, while Ecuele Manga is 37 years old and also unlikely to feature for them again.
Gabon had gone into the tournament off the back of their failed World Cup qualification campaign, where they lost to Nigeria in a play-off semi final. They had narrowly missed out on automatic qualification by one point.
The disbanding of the national team by governments used to be common practice in African nations but FIFA has since made efforts to clamp down on it.
The footballing governing body suspended Mali’s Football Association in March 2017 after the nation’s sports minister Housseïni Amion Guindo dissolved its executive committee.
Mr Guindo’s actions saw the association’s board and president Boubacar Baba Diarra ousted from their roles.
