Thigh injury denies Aubameyang potential Gabon swansong

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s international career appears to be over after the Marseille forward was ruled out of Gabon’s final group game at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Aubameyang, who is Gabon’s all-time leading scorer with 40 goals in 86 caps, initially retired from international duty in 2022, only to reverse that decision a year later.

It was widely expected that the ongoing tournament in Morocco would bring the curtain down on the 36-year-old’s international career, since Gabon failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

But back-to-back defeats to Cameroon (0-1) and Mozambique (2-3) mean they can no longer progress to the last 16, regardless of the result of their final Group F match against Ivory Coast.

And they will play Wednesday’s game without Aubameyang, who has returned to Marseille after sustaining a thigh injury during the loss to Mozambique, in which he scored.

“Following the established medical protocol between Marseille and Gabon medical staff ‍regarding Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, clinical examinations were conducted daily,” said a statement released by the Gabon Football Federation on Tuesday.

“The most recent examination confirmed the ‍discomfort he experienced in his ‌left thigh the day after the Gabon-Mozambique match.

“Given the disappointing results, which cut short Gabon’s participation, the medical staff, in consultation with his club, agreed to protect the player’s physical well-being by exempting him from ⁠the final, inconsequential match.”

Aubameyang was dealing with a hamstring strain going into the tournament, with Marseille reportedly unhappy with Gabon’s decision to field him in their opening match.

The former Arsenal and Chelsea striker has scored eight goals and supplied nine assists in 20 appearances for Marseille in all competitions this season, with only Mason Greenwood (15 goals, four assists) bettering his 17 goal contributions for Roberto De Zerbi’s side.