Aubameyang Blasts Gabon as He Announces International Retirement
The historic striker has called time on his career with the Panthers and revealed the painful situation that ultimately pushed him to walk away.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has brought his career with the Gabon national team to an end. At 37, the Panthers’ all-time leading scorer announced his international retirement following a major controversy stemming from the team’s elimination at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Deportivo striker explained that his decision was directly linked to the treatment he received after the tournament, when he was dropped from the national team alongside Bruno Ecuele Manga before later being reinstated.
“They humiliated me and tarnished my image when I had played at AFCON while injured,” Aubameyang said during a television interview. For the striker, that proved to be the breaking point: “It was the last straw and I’d rather leave it here.”
Gabon’s AFCON disaster triggered the crisis
The fallout began with Gabon’s disappointing performance at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. The Panthers were eliminated in the group stage after losing all three matches, ending their campaign with a 3-2 defeat to Ivory Coast.
The failure prompted an extraordinary reaction in the country. Gabonese president Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema said at the time that “a part of the national identity” had been weakened.
The government subsequently took drastic measures: the coaching staff was dissolved, the national team was suspended until further notice, and Aubameyang and Ecuele Manga were dropped from the squad. The decision to single out two of Gabon’s most experienced players sparked outrage among many supporters.
Aubameyang hits back after being singled out
The situation particularly affected Aubameyang, who believes it was unfair for him to be portrayed as one of the main figures responsible for a crisis that, in his view, goes much deeper than individual players.
“I think the national team’s problems run much deeper than the little part that I represent,” the forward said while explaining his position.
His frustration was even greater because, according to Aubameyang, he had played at AFCON despite carrying an injury, making the measures taken against him afterward feel like a lack of recognition for his commitment to the national team.
Although he was eventually reinstated, the damage had already been done. Aubameyang decided not to continue and has now closed the book on one of the most significant international careers in Gabonese football history.
Gabon’s all-time leading scorer walks away
Aubameyang’s departure means new head coach Sébastien Migné must begin a new era without the player who served for years as the country’s biggest attacking and global star.
The striker leaves as Gabon’s all-time leading scorer after captaining a generation that had him as its most recognizable figure on the international stage.
His farewell, however, comes under circumstances few could have imagined. Instead of a celebrated goodbye after years representing the Panthers, Aubameyang ends his international career feeling humiliated and unfairly blamed for the national team’s failure.
3 Key Takeaways From Aubameyang’s Retirement
- A controversial farewell: Aubameyang says he was “humiliated” and his image was tarnished following Gabon’s failure at the 2025 AFCON.
- The crisis went much deeper: after the group-stage elimination, the coaching staff was dissolved and Aubameyang and Bruno Ecuele Manga were dropped from the national team.
- A legend walks away: the striker ends his international career as Gabon’s all-time leading scorer and one of the most important players in the country’s football history.
