Aubameyang quits Gabon after being ‘humiliated’ over Africa Cup of Nations fallout

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has stepped down from international football with Gabon, saying he was “humiliated” after being blamed for the country’s disappointing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign and then brought back into the squad.

The 37-year-old captain, who is the leading goalscorer in the history of the Panthers, was singled out by the Gabonese government following their group-stage exit in Morocco.

Gabon lost all three of their matches at the tournament, with their final defeat coming against Ivory Coast. President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema said at the time that the result had damaged “a part of our national identity”.

The government responded by dismissing the coaching staff, suspending the national team indefinitely and excluding Aubameyang and fellow veteran Bruno Ecuele Manga from future plans.

Aubameyang was subsequently reinstated but said the way he had been treated had left him unwilling to continue playing for his country.

“They humiliated and smeared me even though I played at the AFCON while injured,” he said in a television interview.

“This is the last straw, and I’d rather stop here.”

The striker also rejected the idea that he alone was responsible for Gabon’s problems.

“I think the team’s problems run much deeper than the little person that I am,” said Aubameyang, who established himself as one of Europe’s leading forwards during spells with Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal.

His exclusion, alongside the sidelining of 38-year-old Bruno Ecuele Manga, prompted widespread anger among Gabonese supporters. Both players have been long-standing figures in the national team.

Aubameyang’s international departure comes as he begins what is expected to be the final challenge of his European career. He has left Marseille to join Deportivo La Coruna, who have returned to La Liga after a lengthy period away from Spain’s top division.

The decision leaves Gabon’s new head coach, Sebastien Migne, without the country’s most prolific scorer as he prepares for the team’s first qualifying matches later this month for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations.

Gabon have been drawn in Group A alongside Morocco, who reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup, as well as Niger and Lesotho.

Aubameyang’s decision brings an end to his time as the central attacking figure in a Gabon side that had relied heavily on his goals and experience. His announcement follows a period of upheaval around the national team, beginning with the disappointing tournament in Morocco and continuing through the government’s intervention, the suspension of the squad and the subsequent reversal of his own exclusion.