Gabon National Team Reinstates Players After AFCON Disappointment

RABAT, Morocco — Following a disheartening outcome at the Africa Cup of Nations, Gabon has reinstated players Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bruno Ecuele Manga to its national football team.

The duo was previously removed from the team, alongside the entire coaching staff, including head coach Thierry Mouyouma, and a suspension was imposed on the squad by Gabon’s government due to their failure to secure a victory during the tournament held in Morocco.

Gabon emerged as the second team to be eliminated from AFCON after suffering consecutive defeats in their initial matches, first losing 1-0 to their neighboring rivals, Cameroon, followed by a 3-2 setback against Mozambique.

The Gabonese Football Federation announced on Monday that the governmental measures suspending the national team and excluding the two players have been lifted. However, Mouyouma and his coaching staff remain dismissed.

The federation communicated that the newly appointed sports minister, Paul Ulrich Kessany, emphasized the importance of upcoming events, particularly the draw for the 2027 Africa Cup qualifiers. Kessany urged the federation to provide him with comprehensive details to facilitate the selection of a new coaching team.

Earlier, Gabon’s interim sports minister, Simplice-Désiré Mamboula, had publicly declared the suspensions, firings, and exclusions on national television following Gabon’s final group match against Ivory Coast on December 31.

On January 3, Kessany, a former Gabonese player, was officially appointed as the sports minister.