Gabon Government Orders Suspension Of National Team After Disappointing AFCON 2025 Performance

The Gabonese government has taken the extraordinary step of suspending the country’s national football team following their poor performance at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco. Acting Sports Minister Simplice-Desire Mamboula announced the decision after Gabon finished bottom of Group F, losing all three matches and exiting the tournament at the group stage.

In a televised statement, the government described the team’s campaign as “disgraceful” and said it would suspend all national team activities until further notice. The entire coaching staff, led by head coach Thierry Mouyouma, has been dissolved.

In addition, longtime player Bruno Ecuele Manga and star forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who had already returned to his club Olympique de Marseille for injury treatment and did not feature in the final game, have been banned from future selection. Both players are veterans of Gabonese football, with Aubameyang the nation’s all-time top scorer and Manga its most capped player.

Gabon’s campaign included defeats to Cameroon, Mozambique and a 3-2 loss to Ivory Coast, in which they squandered a 2-0 lead. The government’s hardline response reflects national frustration over the team’s results and is rare given FIFA’s rules against government interference in football governance.

Aubameyang reacted on social media by saying the team’s problems run deeper than one individual, though his future with Gabon appears uncertain after the sweeping sanctions.