Gabon suspends national team indefinitely after early AFCON 2025 exit
The Gabonese government has suspended the country’s national team indefinitely after its 3-2 loss to the Ivory Coast in their last group game of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Wednesday.
The team’s technical staff was also sacked.
In a statement by the sports ministry on Thursday, the government described the Panthers’ outing in Morocco as ‘dishonourable’, adding that it was below the standard expected by the country’s authorities.
The government also banned the team’s captain, Bruno Ecuele Manga, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from any future call-ups after the latter and former Arsenal star controversially left the team to return to his club side with a game to spare at the tournament.
The full statement read, “In view of the dishonourable performance of the Panthers at the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, and considering the multiple consequences that run counter to the values of ethics and exemplary conduct upheld by the Fifth Republic,
“The government has decided to dissolve the technical staff, to suspend the national team until further notice; to sideline players Bruno Ecuele Manga and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
“Furthermore, the government calls on the Gabonese Football Federation to assume all its responsibilities.”
Gabon was one of the underdogs coming into the 2025 AFCON, having narrowly missed out on automatic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup by just one point behind the Ivory Coast.
However, three defeats in Morocco left Gabon without any points in the group stage, which apparently angered decision-makers in Libreville.
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