Aubameyang Quits Gabon After Feeling 'Humiliated'

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has announced his retirement from international football with Gabon, saying he was left feeling "humiliated" by the treatment he received following the team's disappointing 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign.

The 37-year-old Gabon captain, who is the leading goalscorer in the history of the national team, said he had decided to walk away after being publicly criticised, excluded from the squad and later reinstated.

Aubameyang said he was particularly upset because he had played at the AFCON in Morocco despite carrying an injury.

"They humiliated and smeared me even though I played at the AFCON while injured," Aubameyang said during a television interview.

"This is the last straw, and I'd rather stop here."

Gabon suffered three defeats in the group stage, with their campaign ending after a loss to Ivory Coast.

The results prompted strong criticism from the Gabonese government, with President Brice Oligui Nguema saying the team's performance had damaged an important part of the country's national identity.

In response, the government dismissed the coaching staff, suspended the national team indefinitely and dropped Aubameyang and veteran defender Bruno Ecuele Manga from the squad.

The decision to sideline the two experienced players sparked an angry reaction from Gabonese supporters, many of whom questioned the government's handling of the national team.

Aubameyang, who enjoyed a highly successful European career with Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal, insisted that Gabon's problems extend well beyond the players who have been singled out for criticism.

"I think the team's problems run much deeper than the little person that I am," he said.

Despite ending his international career, Aubameyang is continuing his club career in Europe. He has left Marseille to join Deportivo La Coruna, who have returned to La Liga after a lengthy absence from Spain's top flight.

His international departure leaves Gabon's new coach, Sebastien Migne, without one of the country's most experienced and influential players as preparations begin for the next round of Africa Cup of Nations qualifying.

Gabon are scheduled to begin their qualifying campaign later this month and 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 one of the most prominent international careers in Gabonese football, with the striker having established himself as the Panthers' all-time leading scorer.