Gabon Lifts Sanctions on National Football Team After Afcon Disappointment

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored once during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), but Gabon experienced a disappointing campaign, losing all three of their group matches against Cameroon, Mozambique, and Ivory Coast.

In light of this exit, Gabon’s government has lifted the sanctions previously imposed on the national team and striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The team’s performance at the finals in Morocco, where they finished at the bottom of Group F, was criticized as “disgraceful” by the former Sports Minister, Simplice-Desire Mamboula.

On January 1, Mamboula announced a series of punitive actions, including the suspension of the team, the dismissal of coach Thierry Mouyouma, and the exclusion of Aubameyang and captain Bruno Ecuele Manga from the Panthers setup.

However, the new sports minister, Paul Ulrich Kessany, has since lifted these measures. This decision was crucial in averting potential sanctions from FIFA, which has increasingly taken a firm stance against government interference in football associations.

In a letter to Fegafoot, the national football federation, Kessany highlighted upcoming deadlines, such as the qualifying draw for the 2027 Afcon. Fegafoot welcomed this positive development, stating that it would collaborate with Kessany to provide details for the appointment of a new coaching staff to replace Mouyouma.