Aubameyang, Manga reinstated after Gabon's post-Africa Cup expulsions, search for coach continues

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Gabon players Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Bruno Ecuele Manga have been reinstated to the national team following their expulsion after a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

Both players were removed from the Gabon team, the coaching staff including head coach Thierry Mouyouma was fired, and the whole squad was suspended by Gabon’s government after it failed to win a game at the Africa Cup in Morocco.

The Gabonese Football Federation said the “government measures suspending the national team” and excluding the two players were lifted Monday. Mouyouma and his coaching staff remained fired.

The federation said Gabon’s newly appointed sports minister, Paul Ulrich Kessany, wrote to it to stress the importance of upcoming events, particularly the draw for the 2027 Africa Cup qualifiers. It said Kessany urged the federation to take steps to present him "with all the practical details for selecting a new coaching staff.”

Gabon’s interim sports minister, Simplice-Désiré Mamboula, had announced the suspensions, firings and exclusions on national TV after Gabon’s final group game against Ivory Coast on Dec. 31.

Kessany, a former Gabon player, was subsequently appointed sports minister on Jan. 3.

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AP at the Africa Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-cup-of-nations