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Gabon’s government has taken the extraordinary step of suspending the national football team indefinitely, dissolving the entire technical staff and sidelining two of the country’s most senior players following a disastrous Africa Cup of Nations campaign.
The decision was announced on January 1, 2026, in an official communiqué read on national television by acting Minister of Sports Dr Simplice-Désiré Mamboula, just days after the Panthers exited AFCON 2025 in Morocco without a single point.
Gabon finished bottom of Group F, losing all three matches:
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Cameroon 1–0 Gabon
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Mozambique 3–2 Gabon – Mozambique’s first-ever AFCON victory
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Côte d’Ivoire 3–2 Gabon, despite leading 2–0 against a second-string Ivorian side
making it one of the country’s worst performances in recent tournament history.
In response, the government announced a series of sweeping measures, including the dismissal of head coach Thierry Mouyouma and his entire backroom staff, the suspension of all national team activities, and the removal of veteran players Bruno Ecuele Manga and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from the squad permanently .
In its statement, the government said:
“Given the disgraceful performance of the Panthers at the Total Energies Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025, 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/exclude 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 goalscorer and long-time captain, had already left the AFCON camp on December 30 due to a thigh injury and missed the final group match.
At 36, the Olympique de Marseille striker had been widely expected to retire from international football after the tournament, even before the government’s decision.
Defender Bruno Ecuele Manga, 37, is also one of the most experienced players in Gabonese football, with a career that included a spell at Cardiff City.
The government’s direct intervention raises the possibility of sanctions from FIFA or the Confederation of African Football (CAF), both of which prohibit political interference in the running of national football federations.
FIFA has previously suspended countries including Kenya, Sierra Leone and Mali in similar circumstances. As of now, no ban or formal warning has been issued to Gabon.
The move is considered highly unusual in modern African football, where fear of international sanctions has largely discouraged such actions in recent decades.
Further developments, including possible responses from FEGAFOOT, CAF or FIFA, are expected in the coming days.
Below is the statement
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