Star forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has announced he is ending his career with the Gabon national team, saying he was "humiliated" after being dropped and then reinstated to the squad following the team's failure at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
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In a television interview, the Gabonese captain said he was humiliated and his reputation tarnished, despite having played the tournament while injured. He added that it was the last straw, and that he preferred to stop at this point.
The all-time top scorer for the "Panthers" national team, with 40 goals in 83 international appearances, still feels bitter after the Gabonese government held him responsible for the team's failure at the 2025 AFCON.
Gabon's national team was eliminated from that tournament at the group stage after three consecutive defeats, the last of which was a 2-3 loss to Côte d'Ivoire.
At the time, Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema remarked that part of the national identity was at risk of being weakened.
In response, the government decided to dissolve the coaching staff and suspend the national team's activities until further notice, in addition to dropping Aubameyang (37) and Bruno Ecuele Manga (38).
The suspension of these two veteran national team captainssparked widespread outrage among Gabonese fans.
The former Arsenal, Barcelona, and Marseille player said at the time that he believed the national team's problems ran much deeper than himself.
Aubameyang had previously retired from international football in 2022, before later reversing his decision.
The Gabonese striker is now taking on what may be his final challenge in Europe, having left Marseille for the second time to join Deportivo La Coruña, which recently returned to Spain's second division after many difficult years. He has scored three goals with his new club so far.
Gabon's new French coach, Sébastien Migné, will now have to deal with the absence of his captain as he prepares for the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Having missed out on the 2026 World Cup, the "Panthers" will now aim to qualify for the next edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to be held in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
