Gabon: Aubameyang dismissed, Mouyouma sacked, government strikes hard after AFCON 2025

Thierry Mouyouma, it’s over
The first signs of a new start for Gabonese football surfaced in the address to the nation by President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema on 29 December. The latter already denounced "a worrying erosion of patriotic fiber in the management of the sports" which translates into the two defeats after the second day of the group phase.

For the first time since 1994 and its very first participation in the African Cup of Nations, Gabon ends the group stage with zero points. At the time, there were only 12 participants. Releasing such a service 31 years later as Gabon enters a new era "highlights two major issues that reflect, in reality, persistent structural shortcomings: the lack of method and the dispersion of resources" according to President Oligui Nguema who did not even wait for the final group game day to make this diagnosis.

After the third day and the third defeat against Côte d'Ivoire (3-2) while Gabon were leading 2-0, the axe fell on New Year’s Eve. "The government decides on the dissolution of the technical staff and the suspension of the national team (football, editor’s note) until further notice, from the exclusion of players Bruno Ecuélé Manga and Pierre Émerick Aubameyang," said Dr. Simplice-Désiré Mamboula, acting Minister of Sports, quoted by Gabon24.

Aubameyang and Ecuele Manga  forced into retirement?
Even if they haven’t announced it yet, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (36 years old) and Bruno Ecuélé Manga (37 years old) probably competed for their last AFCON in Morocco. The OM striker has been in the national team since 2009 and the defender since 2006 with more than 100 caps with the Panthers.

If the government has not revealed the reason for their exclusion, it is obvious that the authorities did not appreciate the departure of "PEA" for Marseille even though injured, while his teammates still had a final group match on Wednesday evening. Many Gabonese fans accused the captain of the Panthères of having "abandoned" his teammates in full competition. An internet user even called out 'Auba' on X on Wednesday evening, estimating that he is 'perhaps the problem of this team'.

To which he replied: "I think the team’s problems are much deeper than the little person that I am." A revealing exit of the evils that undermine the Gabonese selection while Thierry Mouyouma has made discipline and Gabonese pride pillars of his national team management.

With this dissolution, Gabon starts afresh even though they seemed on a good start after the 2026 World Cup qualifiers during which they were eliminated in the semi-finals of the play-offs by Nigeria. The catastrophic representation of the flag in Morocco dashed hopes and caused national disappointment to which the authorities responded with these strong measures.