Paulo Duarte, the coach of the Gabon national football team, has been officially relieved of his duties by Fegafoot (Gabonese Football Federation). This decision comes in the aftermath of Gabon’s elimination from the 2014 World Cup.
Duarte’s position had been under scrutiny since Gabon’s non-participation in the previous Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) in South Africa. Additionally, his coaching decisions were often questioned, and he faced criticism for his perceived arrogance toward the media. His proclamation of Burkina Faso’s qualification for the World Cup playoffs on the last day of the qualifiers sparked public outcry in Gabon.
Although he has been fired from his role as the national team coach, Duarte retains his status as the national technical director, a position he had held concurrently with that of the coach for several months. The name of Paul Le Guen has been mentioned as a potential replacement for the coaching position.
