“I’d Rather Stop Here” — Aubameyang Walks Away From Gabon After “Humiliation”
Gabon captain and all-time top scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has announced he is stepping back from international duty, revealing he felt deeply “humiliated” by the way he was cast aside — and later reinstated — following the Panthers’ disastrous 2025 AFCON campaign in Morocco.
The 37-year-old was singled out by the Gabonese government as the face of the team’s tournament collapse, despite having played through injury during the competition.
“They humiliated and smeared me even though I played at the AFCON while injured,” Aubameyang said in a television interview. “This is the last straw, and I’d rather stop here.”
Gabon crashed out of AFCON 2025 at the group stage without a single win, suffering three straight defeats — the last a painful loss to Ivory Coast that sealed their early exit.
The fallout back home was swift and severe. President Brice Oligui Nguema didn’t mince words at the time, declaring: “It’s a part of our national identity that has been weakened.” The government responded by sacking the entire coaching staff, suspending the national team indefinitely, and sidelining both Aubameyang and veteran defender Bruno Ecuele Manga, 38.
The move to axe two of the squad’s most experienced and beloved figures triggered a furious backlash from Gabonese fans, who felt their captain was being made a scapegoat for problems bigger than one player.
Aubameyang himself echoed that sentiment. “I think the team’s problems run much deeper than the little person that I am,” said the former Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal sharpshooter, who was among Europe’s most feared strikers during his peak years.
A New Chapter in Spain
Away from the international drama, Aubameyang is gearing up for what could be his final European adventure, having completed a move from Marseille to newly-promoted La Liga side Deportivo La Coruna.
Back on the international front, Gabon’s new head coach Sebastien Migne now faces the unenviable task of plotting a path forward without his captain and record goalscorer, as the Panthers prepare for their opening 2027 AFCON qualifiers later this month.
It’s the end of an era for Gabonese football — and a bitter one at that, with the man who carried the Panthers’ attack for over a decade choosing to walk away on his own terms rather than fight for a jersey he feels was never truly respected.
