Gabon: Mario Lemina’s new beginning?

Mario Lemina is enjoying a memorable season in the Premier League with Wolverhampton. A regular in midfield, the Gabon international has scored 5 goals in all competitions and sent Wolves through to the FA Cup quarter-finals against Brighton (1-0) on February 28. The former Marseille man will be eagerly awaited with the Gabonese Panthers.

After spells with Juventus, Southampton, Galatasaray, Fulham and OGC Nice, Mario Lemina arrived at Wolverhampton in January 2023. Since then, the Gabon international seems to have rediscovered his former glory. Better still, the former Olympique de Marseille man is shining like never before, and has become an essential part of Gary O'Neil's squad.

At the helm of Wolves since August 2023, the English coach did not fail to underline the importance of the Gabonese in the team as he paid tribute to him after the victory over Everton (3-0). Lemina had missed the game due to the death of his father. "He's incredibly important to the group, both as a person and as a player. Without him, we'd never be close to 28 points. He has our full support and I hope he and his family can find some peace over the next few days," O'Neil told a press conference after the match against the Toffees. The 30-year-old midfielder has played 27 games, including 26 starts.

Positioned as a sentinel with João Gomes alongside him in a 3-4-2-1 formation, Mario Lemina makes full use of his power, technical ability, intelligence and finishing skills. A box-to-box midfielder, he has a strong presence in the recuperation area as well as in attack, with his lightning-quick throws. He also doesn't hesitate to get forward. This enables him to add an offensive edge to his team. His FA Cup quarter-final qualifying goal against Brighton (1-0) on February 28 is a case in point. It accompanies a against-attaque Wolves and snatch to register the victorious goal after only 2 minutes game.

It was the Gabonese international's 5th goal of the season in all competitions. A first in the former Lorient man's career, according to Squawka Football. He had also never scored more than 3 league goals in a single campaign. He has now scored 4 in the Premier League alone. Lemina has also put in some exceptional performances against the big English teams, as was the case against Tottenham (1-2), where he scored the winning goal in the last minute (90+7). But also against Manchester City (2-1). A fine performance from the Panther to inflict Pep Guardiola's men their first defeat of the season. That was on September 30, 2023.

The former Juventus man is flourishing at Wolverhampton in a league he knows well, having played for both Southampton and Fulham. But beyond all that, he is also benefiting from the confidence of his coach, who he believes has breathed new life into the team. "We didn't need any new players. Of course, we have new players like Tommy Doyle, Bellegarde, who are really good and improve the team a lot. But we just needed a coach who would trust us and give us positivity. That's what the whole staff gives us. When you work with that kind of positivity and chemistry, you can have that kind of performance," he confided back in February, in comments relayed by TalkSPORT.

Riding the same wave with the national team
Mario Lemina returned to the national team in November 2023 after a short international retirement. According to Parfait Junior Bukinda, a Gabonese journalist contacted by Sport News Africa, his return was very much appreciated by the Gabonese public. "Mario Lemina's return has been well received. He's a player who's proved his worth wherever he's been. So it's good to see him back in the team. He's always played a leading role. We've always seen him haranguing the crowds, monilizing his teammates. It's great (to see him back in the national team)," confided the Gabon Télévision journalist.

While the return of the Wolverhampton midfielder is much appreciated by the public, expectations are still very high. Indeed, Lemina always seems to leave the Gabonese wanting more. A player with enormous potential who has yet to explode with the Panthers. "The Gabonese public appreciates Mario Lemina's performances in the Premier League with Wolverhampton, but we're a little disappointed by his performances for the Gabonese national team. He leaves us wanting more. His only benchmark match was against Côte d'Ivoire (2018 World Cup qualifier, victory for Gabon (2-1) with a goal from Lemina)", said another Gabonese journalist.

Parfait Junior Bukinda agrees. "When we talk about him, we always remember the reference match against Côte d'Ivoire in Bouaké (1-2) with that great goal by Lemina, who was fit and available for his team. We know that at Wolverhampton he's firing on all cylinders; he's in exceptional form. But we'd like to see him repeat his exploits for the national team. His impact needs to be felt", he declared.

On his return, Wolve played just 30 minutes in the two Gabon games. He came off injured in the 30th minute against Kenya (2-1). Absent against Burundi (1-2), Mario Lemina will certainly have another opportunity to shine during the Panthères' next training camp. Gabon face Senegal in a friendly in France on March 22.