Gabon: should they close the book on Pierre Emerick Aubameyang for good?

The trouble with superstars in the twilight of their careers is that they can pose a real puzzle for their coach. Do you do without them? Do you let them help with the rebuild? Will they accept starting on the bench? Pierre Emerick Aubameyang had taken a big thorn out of Patrice Neveu's side by retiring from international football after the 2021 AFCON, which he had been unable to play because of a suspension, following a night out while the squad was preparing for the tournament.

“Aubameyang would not have come back if the attack had been performing”

But with little else to choose from in his squad, the French coach went and coaxed him out of retirement with the backing of Gabon's president, Ali Bongo. A good idea on paper, because the Panthers, even though they were top of their group and needed only a win to qualify for the 2023 AFCON, had scored just two goals in 360 minutes. Toothless. “Pierre Emerick Aubameyang's return was more or less inevitable, in the sense that Gabon's attack was struggling to find its rhythm with Dennis Bouanga and Aaron Boupendza. If Gabon's attack had been performing well during the qualifiers, he would not have come back,” explains Gabonese football pundit and analyst Terrence Ken.

“How he managed to stay on the pitch for 90 minutes”

But the Pierre Emerick Aubameyang of today is a long way from his prime. This is a man who operated at the very top of the game, rubbed shoulders with the best strikers in the world and scored goal after goal for Dortmund and Arsenal. This Chelsea version of PEA can barely put one foot in front of the other and, instead of making an impact in Gabon's attack against the Leopards, he was more of a burden to his team-mates. “His game reflected what he has shown at Chelsea this season. He is a player in difficulty, short of fitness. When he is at his best, his movement is sharp. With his patriotism and the crowd's enthusiasm, we thought he would raise his game, but he was a ghost against DR Congo, completely lost. He needs to play to be in form. He is an excellent finisher, but let's not kid ourselves, he is far from his best. You even wonder how he managed to stay on the pitch for the full 90 minutes,” our pundit admits.

“We will have to rebuild without him...”

With Aubameyang anonymous and the defence under siege, the Panthers lost 2-0 in front of their own fans in the battle with the Leopards. It is a defeat that could have heavy consequences. The Gabonese, who could have qualified as early as Sunday, would find themselves in 3rd place going into the 6th and final qualifying matchday. They travel to Mauritania. Should that trip be made with or without PEA? Terrence Ken is torn. “We will have to rebuild without him because he is reaching the twilight of his career. He is 34. He had accustomed us to very high standards. But for two seasons now, apart from the half-season with Barça, he has been struggling. If he stays in the same situation, we will have to manage without him. But if he becomes effective again at a club, he can be hugely useful. Especially as Gabon's talent pool is not huge. We have Bouanga, Allevinah… Players of Aubameyang's calibre don't grow on trees.”