Football - Gabon: Chauvin, da Silva and Boa Morte for the Panthers' bench

The suspense is coming to an end. After the departure of Thierry Mouyouma, who suffered a defeat at the last African Cup of Nations (three defeats in as many games), Gabon is getting ready to turn the page. If the call for applications has generated an unprecedented enthusiasm with more than 600 CVs submitted, the special commission has now reduced its list to a trio of finalists.

However, the backstage of this selection was marked by strange maneuvers, according to information from Sport News Africa. While the names of Régis Bogaert (former assistant to Aliou Cissé) and Frédéric Bompard were present in the initial short-list, these tracks have mysteriously evaporated in favor of new faces.

Three profiles, three different styles
La Fégafoot has chosen three profiles with distinct trajectories to restore the brilliance of Gabonese football, the first being Anthony da Silva. At 45 years old, the Franco-Portuguese, after a playing career between Portugal and Romania, was assistant to Toni Conceiçao with the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon from 2019 to 2022. Bronze medalist at the AFCON organized in Cameroon, he experienced from the inside the requirements of a large selection of the continent. 

Other finalist selected, Landry Chauvin. Former coach of Nantes, Sedan or even Brest, the 57-year-old Frenchman has also had African experiences by coaching the African Club in Tunisia and being assistant to Vahid Halilhodzic with the Morocco team.

Finally, Luis Boa Morte which is the surprise of this final list. While the track leading to the former star of Arsenal and Fulham seemed out of the way because deemed «out of step with the sporting project», the 48-year-old Portuguese is indeed there. Despite a mixed experience on the bench of Guinea-Bissau in 2024-2025, his international aura and his experience at the highest European level remain weighty arguments to manage a locker room full of stars.


The replacement of names like Bogaert or Bompard by that of Boa Morte is already fueling discussions in the streets of Libreville. Why such a change of course at the eleventh hour? The answer belongs to the special commission which will have to justify its choice tomorrow.

The stakes are immense: the future coach will not only have to rebuild a group morally affected by the failure of the AFCON, but also give back an identity of play to a nation that no longer supports seeing its Panthers remain at the dock.