Gabon’s government has withdrawn the sweeping sanctions imposed on the national football team and striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang following the Panthers’ early exit from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, a move that has averted potential disciplinary action from FIFA and restored stability to the country’s football administration.
The reversal, announced Monday by newly appointed Sports Minister Paul Ulrich Kessany, effectively nullifies the punitive measures introduced on January 1 by his predecessor, Simplice-Desire Mamboula, who had described the team’s performance as “disgraceful” after Gabon finished bottom of Group F at the continental tournament.
Mamboula’s sanctions had included the suspension of the entire national team, the exclusion of Aubameyang and captain Bruno Ecuele Manga from national team duties, and the dismissal of head coach Thierry Mouyouma. The drastic measures drew immediate concern within African football circles, as they risked triggering FIFA’s longstanding prohibition against government interference in football administration—a violation that has previously led to the suspension of national federations across the continent.
According to a statement from the Gabonese Football Federation (Fegafoot), Kessany cited upcoming international deadlines, including the qualifying draw for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, as critical factors in the decision to lift the sanctions. The Sports Minister invited the federation to present comprehensive plans for appointing new technical staff to replace Mouyouma, signalling a collaborative rather than confrontational approach to addressing the team’s poor showing in Morocco.
“Fegafoot welcomes the positive outcome of the situation,” the federation said in its official communication.
The decision clears the way for Aubameyang, one of Africa’s most decorated strikers, to potentially return to international duty. The 35-year-old former Arsenal and Barcelona forward has been a cornerstone of Gabonese football for over a decade, earning more than 70 caps and serving as the face of the national team through multiple AFCON campaigns. His exclusion had raised questions about the future direction of the Panthers, particularly given the scarcity of players of his calibre within the Central African nation’s football ranks.
Gabon’s disastrous AFCON campaign saw the team fail to win a single match in Group F, a performance that fell far short of expectations for a side that has historically competed at respectable levels in continental competition. The Panthers have qualified for the AFCON finals on eight occasions since their debut in 1994, with their best finish coming in 2012 when they reached the quarter-finals as co-hosts alongside Equatorial Guinea. The 2025 edition, however, exposed significant structural and tactical deficiencies that prompted the initial government backlash.
The intervention by Mamboula had been unusual in its scope and severity, reflecting broader frustrations within Gabonese society over the state of the national team. However, FIFA’s statutes explicitly prohibit government bodies from interfering in the operations of national football associations, a rule designed to protect the independence of football governance. Violations of this principle have led to suspensions of several federations in recent years, including those in Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Chad, which were temporarily barred from international competition until government interference ceased.
The threat of a FIFA suspension would have been particularly damaging for Gabon, as it would have excluded the country from upcoming World Cup and AFCON qualifying campaigns, further isolating the Panthers from international football and compounding the reputational damage inflicted by the poor tournament showing.
With the sanctions now lifted, attention shifts to the appointment of a new coaching team and the strategic direction of the national team ahead of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers. The Panthers face a rebuilding process that must balance the integration of younger talent with the experience of established players such as Aubameyang and Ecuele Manga, who remains one of the most capped defenders in Gabonese football history.
