AFCON loss: Gabon Gov't dissolves national team, bans Aubameyang

The Gabonese government has pressed the nuclear button on its football federation, announcing the immediate suspension of the national team and the indefinite banishment of star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang following a disastrous outing at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

In a move reminiscent of a bygone era of African football, the Acting Minister of Sports, Simplice-Desire Mamboula, took to national television to declare the Panthers dissolved until further notice.

The drastic decision comes after Gabon finished rock bottom of Group F, losing all three matches.

The final straw was a humiliating 3-2 defeat to the Ivory Coast on Wednesday, where Gabon squandered a 2-0 lead against the Elephants' second-string side.

Minister Mamboula did not mince words, labeling the team’s campaign a national embarrassment.

"Given the Panthers’ disgraceful performance at the Africa Cup of Nations, the government has decided to dissolve the coaching staff, suspend the national team until further notice, and exclude players Bruno Ecuele Manga and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang," Mamboula announced.

The government specifically singled out two veterans for exclusion, 36-year-old Aubameyang and 37-year-old defender Bruno Ecuele Manga.

Ironically, neither player was on the pitch for the final collapse against Ivory Coast.

Aubameyang had already returned to his club, Olympique de Marseille, to treat a thigh injury.

The former African Footballer of the Year did not take the scapegoating lying down.

Firing back on X (formerly Twitter), Aubameyang posted: "I think the team's problems are much deeper than the individual I am."

While the government attempts to clean house, the move risks drawing the ire of FIFA. World football’s governing body maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy regarding government interference in football administration.

Historically, such decrees have led to indefinite international bans for the countries involved, potentially isolating Gabonese football further just as they attempt to rebuild from the ashes of this failed campaign.