Aubameyang draws curtain on Gabon duty after bitter dispute

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has officially announced his retirement from international football, ending his time with Gabon in the midst of a serious dispute with the country’s sporting authorities.

The 37-year-old forward leaves the national team as the captain and all-time leading scorer of the Panthers of Gabon. His decision brings an abrupt and painful conclusion to more than a decade of representing his country.

Aubameyang said he had been deeply affected by the treatment he received from the authorities and described a strong sense of injustice over the way his contribution to the national side had been regarded.

“They humiliated and smeared me even though I had played in the Africa Cup of Nations while injured. That was the final straw and I prefer to stop here,” Aubameyang said.

His comments underline the depth of the disagreement between the former captain and the officials overseeing Gabonese football. Aubameyang’s decision is not simply the end of an international career, but also a public break after a period in which he felt the sacrifices he made for the national team had not been properly recognised.

The forward’s departure removes Gabon’s most prominent footballer from the national set-up. He had become the defining figure of the Panthers, both through his goals and through his position as the senior leader in the dressing room.

Aubameyang’s exit also closes a major chapter in the history of Gabonese sport. For more than 10 years, he carried the country’s hopes while establishing himself as its most celebrated player. His record as the national team’s leading scorer ensures that his influence will remain central to the country’s football story.

The circumstances of his departure, however, have cast a bitter shadow over that legacy. Rather than leaving after a quiet conclusion to his international career, Aubameyang has chosen to walk away after expressing his anger at what he considers a humiliating treatment by the sporting authorities.

His reference to playing at the Africa Cup of Nations while injured was central to his explanation. Aubameyang presented that decision as evidence of the commitment he showed to Gabon, making clear that the lack of appreciation he felt afterwards had played a decisive role in his choice.

With his retirement, the Panthers lose not only their most recognisable star but also the unquestioned leader of their squad. Aubameyang leaves behind an imposing body of work and impressive statistics that will remain part of Gabon’s sporting history.

The disagreement that prompted his departure means his international career ends on a strained note. Even so, his status as Gabon’s greatest goalscorer and emblematic captain ensures that his contribution to the national team will endure long after he has stepped away from it.