Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, captain and the greatest scorer in Gabon national team history, has announced that he will no longer play for his country. The former Arsenal striker cited feelings of humiliation after being criticized by the government and left out of the squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Morocco.
In a television interview, the 37-year-old forward said: “They humiliated and defamed me even though I played at AFCON while injured. This was the last straw, and I would rather stop here.”
Gabon were eliminated in the group stage of AFCON 2025 after losing all three matches, including a final defeat to Ivory Coast. After the tournament, Gabonese President Brice Oligui Nguema criticized the team, saying that “part of the national identity was weakened.”
The government sacked the coaching staff, suspended the entire squad, and left Aubameyang and 38-year-old defender Bruno Ecuele Manga out of planning. The decision to drop these two veteran stalwarts sparked an outcry among Gabonese fans.
Aubameyang insisted that the national team's problems go beyond him alone: “I think the issue goes much deeper than a small person like me.”
Currently, Aubameyang has left Marseille to join Deportivo La Coruña, a club that has just returned to La Liga after a long spell in the Spanish lower divisions. This is seen as his last challenge in Europe.
New Gabon coach Sébastien Migné will have to plan without Aubameyang as the team prepares for next year's AFCON qualifiers. Gabon are in Group A alongside Morocco—a 2022 World Cup quarterfinalist—as well as Niger and Lesotho.
