RABAT, Morocco — Gabon national team players Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Bruno Ecuele Manga have been reinstated to the national squad after being expelled following a lackluster performance in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Both players were dismissed from the team, along with head coach Thierry Mouyouma and his staff, while the Gabonese government suspended the entire squad after failing to win any matches during the tournament held in Morocco.
Gabon was the second team eliminated from the AFCON, suffering back-to-back losses in their first two matches – first losing 1-0 to rivals Cameroon, followed by a 3-2 defeat to Mozambique.
The Gabonese Football Federation announced that the government-imposed measures suspending the national team and excluding the two players were lifted on Monday, although Mouyouma and his coaching staff remain dismissed.
The federation noted that Gabon’s newly appointed sports minister, Paul Ulrich Kessany, emphasized the significance of upcoming events, particularly the draw for the 2027 Africa Cup qualifiers. Kessany urged the federation to provide practical details regarding the selection of a new coaching staff.
Previously, Gabon’s interim sports minister, Simplice-Désiré Mamboula, publicly announced the suspensions and firings on national television following Gabon’s final group match against Ivory Coast on December 31.
Kessany, who is also a former player for Gabon, was named sports minister on January 3.
Information from The Associated Press was utilized in this report.