Following Gabon’s disappointing early exit from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the Gabonese government has suspended the national team and dissolved its coaching staff.
Head coach Thierry Mayouma, who earned over 30 caps for Gabon during his playing career, along with his technical team, have been dismissed. In addition, captain Bruno Ecuele Manga and all-time top scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have been banned from future selection, even though both missed Gabon’s final group match against Ivory Coast.
Gabon lost their first two group matches and, in a dramatic final game, let a 2-0 lead slip to lose 3-2 to the defending champions after Bazoumana Toure scored a stoppage-time winner, leaving the Panthers at the bottom of Group F.
In a statement broadcast on national television, the government said:
“Given the Panthers’ disgraceful performance at the Total Energies Morocco 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, and considering the multifaceted effects that are diametrically opposed to the values of ethics and exemplarity advocated by the Fifth Republic, the Government has decided: to dissolve the technical staff; to suspend the national team until further notice; to remove players Bruno Ecuele Manga and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from the team.
“Furthermore, the Government calls on the Gabonese Football Federation to assume all its responsibilities.”
Aubameyang, Gabon’s all-time leading scorer with 41 goals, had returned to Marseille due to injury ahead of the third group match, while Manga, the most capped player with 105 appearances, was dropped from the Ivory Coast game after starting the first two matches.
The sanctions follow Gabon’s broader struggles in international football. Despite winning eight of their ten World Cup qualifiers, Gabon failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico after losing to Nigeria in a play-off semi-final.
