RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Gabon’s government appears to have suspended its national soccer team and fired its coaching staff after a disappointing performance at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Gabon has failed to win a single match in the ongoing competition.
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The country’s interim sports minister, Simplice-Désiré Mamboula, reportedly announced the news on national television late Wednesday but did not say when Gabon would play again. He also said the government had decided to drop Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bruno Equile Manga from the squad.
However, the video clip of Mambula’s statement was later deleted from Gabonese TV’s social media channels, and no corresponding statement was posted on the government website.
Captain Aubameyang did not play in Gabon’s final group match against Ivory Coast on Wednesday after returning to club Marseille due to injury.
The Panthers were already assured of bottom spot and elimination after losing their first two games to Cameroon and Mozambique.
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Ahead of Wednesday’s final group stage match, Gabonese President Bliss Origi Nguema criticized his team’s performance in Morocco, accusing it of a “lack of methods and use of resources”.
Nguema said there was a “worrying erosion of patriotism in the management of sports affairs,” Gabon broadcaster 24 reported.
Nguema seized power in a 2023 military coup.
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AP Africa Cup of Nations: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-cup-of-nations
