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Gabon national football team facts for kids

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This page is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Gabon women's national football team.
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Gabon
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s) Les Panthères
(The Panthers)
Association Gabonese Football Federation (Fédération Gabonaise de Football, FEGAFOOT)
Confederation CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation UNIFFAC (Central Africa)
Head coach Thierry Mouyouma
Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Most caps Didier Ovono (112)
Top scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (35)
Home stadium Stade d'Angondjé
FIFA code GAB
First colours
FIFA ranking
Current 85 Steady (7 February 2019)
Highest 30 (July 2009)
Lowest 125 (April–May 2003)
Elo ranking
Current 103 Decrease 1 (3 March 2019)
Highest 63 (November 1996)
Lowest 123 (June 2004)
First international
 Upper Volta 5–4 Gabon 
(Madagascar; 13 April 1960)
Biggest win
 Gabon 7–0 Benin 
(Libreville, Gabon; 2 April 1995)
Biggest defeat
 Cameroon 6–0 Gabon 
(Abidjan, Ivory Coast; 26 December 1961)
 Morocco 6–0 Gabon 
(Rabat, Morocco; 15 November 2006)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances 9 (first in 1994)
Best result Quarter-finals, 1996 and 2012

The Gabon national football team is also known as Les Panthères (The Panthers). This team represents the country of Gabon in men's international soccer games. The Gabonese Football Federation manages the team.

Gabon has never played in the FIFA World Cup. However, they have qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations nine times. Gabon is a member of both FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Gabon Football History

Early Years (1960s)

Gabon's first game was on April 13, 1960. They played in the first Friendship Games tournament in Madagascar. They lost their first match 5–4 to Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso).

In December 1961, they played in the same tournament again. They lost to Senegal and Cameroon. Soon after, the Gabonese Football Federation was created to help grow the sport.

Their first win came on July 14, 1962, when they beat Congo 3–1 at home. Gabon joined FIFA in 1966 and CAF in 1967.

1970s Football Journey

Gabon tried to qualify for the 1972 African Cup of Nations but lost to Ivory Coast. They also tried for the 1972 Olympic football tournament but withdrew.

In 1976, Gabon hosted the first Central African Games. Their football team did very well. They beat Burundi 4–1 and Rwanda 3–0. They also drew 0–0 with Cameroon.

Gabon reached the semi-finals but lost to Congo. They finished in third place, which was a great achievement for them.

Recent Years (2010s)

Marouane Chamakh and Stephane Nguema-2, March 28 2009
Stéphane N'Guéma and Marouane Chamakh playing for their teams in a 2010 World Cup qualifier.

In the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, Gabon surprised many by beating Cameroon 1–0. They had a good chance to move forward but were eliminated because of how many goals they scored.

Gabon co-hosted the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. They won all their group matches, beating Niger, Morocco, and Tunisia. They reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 1996.

In a thrilling match, Gabon lost to Mali in a penalty shootout. Their star player, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, scored three goals in the tournament.

For the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, Gabon did not make it to the play-offs. They finished third in their group.

In the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, Gabon qualified by topping their group. However, they were knocked out in the group stage despite winning their first game 2–0.

Team Look: Kit Sponsors

The Gabon national team has had different companies make their uniforms over the years.

Kit providers Period
Italy Airness 2006–2010
Germany Puma 2012–2016
Germany Adidas 2017–2018
Italy Kappa 2019–2023
Germany Puma 2024–

Latest Matches and Schedule

Here are the results of Gabon's matches in the last year and upcoming games.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

22 March Friendly Senegal  3–0  Gabon Amiens, France
20:30 UTC+1
  • Appindangoyé Goal 12' (o.g.)
  • Faye Goal 44'
  • Mané Goal 90+2'
 Stadium: Stade de la Licorne
Referee: Stéphanie Frappart (France)
25 March Friendly Gabon  1–1  Congo Chambly, France
20:30 UTC+1
  • Lemina Goal 42'
  • Ganvoula Goal 73'
 Stadium: Stade des Marais
7 June 2026 World Cup qualification Ivory Coast  1–0  Gabon Korhogo, Ivory Coast
19:00 UTC±0
  • S. Fofana Goal 36'
 Stadium: Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium
Attendance: 17,522
Referee: Omar Abdulkadir Artan (Somalia)
11 June 2026 World Cup qualification Gabon  3–2  Gambia Franceville, Gabon
20:00 UTC+1
  • Minteh Goal 33'
  • Adams Goal 76'
 Stadium: Stade de Franceville
Referee: Sadok Selmi (Tunisia)
6 September 2025 AFCON qualification Morocco  4–1  Gabon Agadir, Morocco
20:00 UTC+1
Stadium: Adrar Stadium
Attendance: 38,000
Referee: Dahane Beida (Mauritania)
10 September 2025 AFCON qualification Gabon  2–0  Central African Republic Franceville, Gabon
17:00 UTC+1
Stadium: Stade de Franceville
Attendance: 8,679
Referee: Peter Waweru (Kenya)

Upcoming 2025 Matches

20 March 2026 World Cup qualification Gabon  3–0  Seychelles Franceville, Gabon
20:00 UTC+1
  • Allevinah Goal 3'
  • Bouanga Goal 30', 63'
 Stadium: Stade de Franceville
Referee: Mehrez Melki (Tunisia)
23 March 2026 World Cup qualification Kenya  1–2  Gabon Nairobi, Kenya
16:00 UTC+3
  • Olunga Goal 62'
Stadium: Nyayo National Stadium
Referee: Ibrahim Mutaz (Libya)
September 2026 World Cup qualification Seychelles  v  Gabon
September 2026 World Cup qualification Gabon  v  Ivory Coast
October 2026 World Cup qualification Gambia  v  Gabon
October 2026 World Cup qualification Gabon  v  Burundi
24 December 2025 AFCON GS Cameroon  v  Gabon Agadir, Morocco
20:30 Stadium: Adrar Stadium
28 December 2025 AFCON RR Gabon  v  Mozambique Agadir, Morocco
20:30 Stadium: Adrar Stadium
31 December 2025 AFCON GS Gabon  v  Ivory Coast Marrakesh, Morocco
20:30 Stadium: Marrakesh Stadium

Coaching Staff

Jose Antonio Camacho
José Antonio Camacho was Gabon's manager in 2016.

The coaching staff helps the team train and prepare for matches.

Position Name
Head coach Gabon Thierry Mouyouma
Assistant coaches Gabon Ghislain Abessolo
Gabon François Nguema
Goalkeeping coach Gabon Didier Ovono
Fitness coach Gabon Ambroise Engome
Match analyst Gabon Philippe Ndoutou
Performance coach Gabon Fabrice Moubouyou
Team doctors Gabon Dr. Claude Moundoungou
Gabon Dr. Guillaume Mve Ayong
Physiotherapists Gabon Jean-Pierre Eyi Ebong
Gabon Maurice Mba Mezui
Gabon Jules Moubamba
Gabon Patrice Bivigou
Team coordinator Gabon Lucien Nziengui
Technical director Gabon Jean-Baptiste Ekomo Oyono

Team Players

Gabon (1)
The national football team of Gabon in Cameroon.

Current Squad

These players were chosen for friendly matches in June 2025.

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK François Bekale (2002-02-15) 15 February 2002 (age 23) 1 0 Gabon Stade Mandji
1GK Loyce Mbaba (1998-05-04) 4 May 1998 (age 27) 9 0 Ivory Coast Stella Club
1GK Junior Noubi (1999-06-20) 20 June 1999 (age 26) 4 0 France Fougères
3 2DF Anthony Oyono (2001-04-12) 12 April 2001 (age 24) 24 0 Italy Frosinone
5 2DF Bruno Ecuele Manga (1988-07-16) 16 July 1988 (age 37) 96 8 France Paris 13 Atletico
13 2DF Mick Onfia (2000-12-10) 10 December 2000 (age 24) 1 0 Gabon Mangasport
19 2DF Jacques Ekomié (2003-08-19) 19 August 2003 (age 21) 13 0 France Angers
2DF Johann Obiang (1993-07-05) 5 July 1993 (age 32) 47 0 France Pau
2DF Jérémy Oyono (2001-04-12) 12 April 2001 (age 24) 9 0 Italy Frosinone
2DF Urie-Michel Mboula (2003-04-30) 30 April 2003 (age 22) 8 0 France Metz
2DF Oumar Bagnama (2001-05-19) 19 May 2001 (age 24) 0 0 Gabon Mounana
2DF Larry Jonathan Ekwa (2006-02-03) 3 February 2006 (age 19) 0 0 Gabon Libreville
2DF Mathéo Moussa (2005-11-14) 14 November 2005 (age 19) 0 0 France Dijon
12 3MF Guélor Kanga (1990-08-01) 1 August 1990 (age 34) 72 5 Serbia Red Star Belgrade
15 3MF Samaké Nzé Bagnama (2002-06-28) 28 June 2002 (age 23) 3 0 Gabon Mounana
23 3MF Shorla Aboghe (2005-05-20) 20 May 2005 (age 20) 1 1 Gabon Centre Sportif de Bendje
3MF André Poko (1993-03-07) 7 March 1993 (age 32) 78 4 Turkey Amedspor
3MF Mario Lemina (1993-09-01) 1 September 1993 (age 31) 36 3 Turkey Galatasaray
3MF Serge-Junior Ngouali (1992-01-23) 23 January 1992 (age 33) 17 0 Sweden Brommapojkarna
3MF Clench Loufilou (1999-04-12) 12 April 1999 (age 26) 13 0 Iraq Al-Minaa
4FW Teddy Averlant (1999-10-02) 2 October 1999 (age 25) 0 0 France Boulogne
3MF Meshak Babanzila (2001-06-11) 11 June 2001 (age 24) 0 0 Spain Europa
4FW Noha Lemina (2005-06-17) 17 June 2005 (age 20) 0 0 France Annecy
7 4FW Van Mobili (2007-12-04) 4 December 2007 (age 17) 2 0 Gabon Stade Mandji
18 4FW Jim Allevinah (1995-02-27) 27 February 1995 (age 30) 32 8 France Angers
22 4FW Yoann Nani Nono (1993-10-17) 17 October 1993 (age 31) 2 0 Gabon Cercle Mbéri Sportif
4FW David Sambissa (1996-01-11) 11 January 1996 (age 29) 17 0 Turkey İstanbulspor
4FW Orphé Mbina (2000-11-02) 2 November 2000 (age 24) 4 0 Portugal União de Leiria
4FW Bryan Meyo Ngoua (2006-01-31) 31 January 2006 (age 19) 0 0 France Lyon

Players Called Up Recently

These players have also been called to play for Gabon in the last year.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Anse Ngoubi Demba (2000-01-31) 31 January 2000 (age 25) 3 0 Malta Mosta v.  Kenya, 23 March 2025
GK Patrick Menene (1998-04-22) 22 April 1998 (age 27) 0 0 Gabon Mounana v.  Kenya, 23 March 2025
GK Loïc Owono (1999-09-18) 18 September 1999 (age 25) 1 0 Democratic Republic of the Congo Vita Club v.  Central African Republic, 18 November 2024
DF Aaron Appindangoyé (1992-02-20) 20 February 1992 (age 33) 68 2 Turkey Kocaelispor v.  Kenya, 23 March 2025
DF Alex Moucketou-Moussounda (2000-10-10) 10 October 2000 (age 24) 25 1 France Caen v.  Kenya, 23 March 2025
DF Sidney Obissa (2000-05-04) 4 May 2000 (age 25) 11 0 Bulgaria Krumovgrad v.  Central African Republic, 18 November 2024
DF Yannis M'Bemba (2001-07-01) 1 July 2001 (age 24) 1 0 Netherlands Dordrecht v.  Lesotho, 15 October 2024
DF Stane Essono (1998-05-28) 28 May 1998 (age 27) 1 0 Unattached v.  Gambia, 11 June 2024
MF Medwin Biteghé (1996-09-01) 1 September 1996 (age 28) 22 0 Saudi Arabia Jeddah v.  Kenya, 23 March 2025
MF Eric Bocoum (1996-03-10) 10 March 1996 (age 29) 7 0 Iran Gol Gohar Sirjan v.  Central African Republic, 18 November 2024
MF Jeff Biloungou (1994-09-03) 3 September 1994 (age 30) 2 0 France Pouzauges Bocage v.  Central African Republic, 18 November 2024
MF Roy Mbongui (2005-12-01) 1 December 2005 (age 19) 1 0 United Arab Emirates Al Wasl v.  Central African Republic, 9 September 2024
MF Brimau Nziengui (2001-01-24) 24 January 2001 (age 24) 1 0 France Villers-Houlgate v.  Central African Republic, 9 September 2024
FW Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (1989-06-18) 18 June 1989 (age 36) 76 34 Saudi Arabia Al-Qadsiah v.  Kenya, 23 March 2025
FW Denis Bouanga (1994-11-11) 11 November 1994 (age 30) 46 12 United States Los Angeles v.  Kenya, 23 March 2025
FW Shavy Babicka (2000-06-01) 1 June 2000 (age 25) 18 3 France Toulouse v.  Kenya, 23 March 2025
FW Alan Do Marcolino (2002-03-19) 19 March 2002 (age 23) 9 1 France Orléans v.  Central African Republic, 18 November 2024
FW Jérémie Obounet (2002-08-17) 17 August 2002 (age 22) 6 0 Spain Recreativo Granada v.  Central African Republic, 18 November 2024
FW Rody Effaghe (2004-04-11) 11 April 2004 (age 21) 5 1 Cyprus Aris Limassol v.  Central African Republic, 18 November 2024
FW Edlin Essang-Matouti (2003-07-25) 25 July 2003 (age 22) 1 0 Bahrain Al-Najma v.  Central African Republic, 9 September 2024
FW Axel Méyé (1995-06-06) 6 June 1995 (age 30) 37 4 Qatar Al-Mesaimeer v.  Gambia, 11 June 2024

DEC Player refused to join the team after the call-up.
INJ Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury.
PRE Preliminary squad.
RET Player has retired from international football.
SUS Suspended from the national team.

Team Records

These are some of the top players for Gabon based on how many games they've played and how many goals they've scored.

Players in bold are still playing for Gabon.

Most Games Played

Didier Ovono
Didier Ovono has played the most games for Gabon, with 112 appearances.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Didier Ovono 112 0 2003–2019
2 François Amégasse 110 9 1984–2000
3 Bruno Ecuélé Manga 109 9 2007–present
4 Etienne Kassa-Ngoma 92 7 1985–1997
5 Cédric Moubamba 86 2 1998–2012
6 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 81 35 2009–present
Valéry Ondo 80 12 1988–2001
8 Lloyd Palun 79 1 2011–present
André Biyogo Poko 79 3 2010–present
10 Nzué Nguema 77 23 1995–2005

Top Goal Scorers

1 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (cropped)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is Gabon's top scorer with 35 goals.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (list) 35 81 0.43 2009–present
2 Nzué Nguema 23 77 0.3 1995–2005
3 Guy Roger Nzamba 21 47 0.45 1988–2000
4 Michel Minko 14 41 0.34 1984–1990
5 Brice Mackaya 13 43 0.3 1992–1999
Denis Bouanga 13 47 0.28 2017–present
Daniel Cousin 13 60 0.22 2000–2014
8 Malick Evouna 12 36 0.33 2012–present
Valéry Ondo 12 80 0.15 1988–2001
10 Bruno Zita Mbanangoyé 11 68 0.16 1999–2012

Tournament History

FIFA World Cup

Gabon has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup.

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA
1930 to 1958 Part of  France Part of  France
Chile 1962 Not a FIFA member Not a FIFA member
England 1966 Withdrew Withdrew
Mexico 1970 Did not enter Did not enter
West Germany 1974 Withdrew Withdrew
1978 to 1986 Did not enter Did not enter
Italy 1990 Did not qualify 6 2 0 4 5 9
United States 1994 4 2 1 1 7 5
France 1998 7 2 1 4 4 11
South Korea Japan 2002 2 1 0 1 1 2
Germany 2006 12 3 5 4 15 14
South Africa 2010 12 7 0 5 17 10
Brazil 2014 6 2 1 3 5 6
Russia 2018 8 2 3 3 3 8
Qatar 2022 6 2 1 3 7 8
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined 6 5 0 1 12 6
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030 To be determined
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total — 0/15 – – – – – – 68 27 12 29 74 78

Africa Cup of Nations

Gabon has played in the Africa Cup of Nations nine times. Their best results were reaching the quarter-finals in 1996 and 2012.

Africa Cup of Nations record Qualification record
Year Round Position Pld W D* L GF GA Pld W D* L GF GA
Sudan 1957 Part of  France Part of  France
United Arab Republic 1959
Ethiopia 1962 Not affiliated with CAF Not affiliated with CAF
Ghana 1963
Tunisia 1965
Ethiopia 1968
Sudan 1970 Did not enter Did not enter
Cameroon 1972 Did not qualify 2 0 0 2 1 3
Egypt 1974 Withdrew Withdrew
Ethiopia 1976 Did not enter Did not enter
Ghana 1978 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 5 6
Nigeria 1980 Did not enter Did not enter
Libya 1982 Withdrew Withdrew
Ivory Coast 1984 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 2 6
Egypt 1986 2 0 1 1 1 3
Morocco 1988 2 1 0 1 1 1
Algeria 1990 6 3 0 3 6 6
Senegal 1992 6 2 3 1 3 2
Tunisia 1994 Group stage 12th 2 0 0 2 0 7 6 4 2 0 10 2
South Africa 1996 Quarter-finals 7th 3 1 1 1 4 3 4 3 0 1 8 2
Burkina Faso 1998 Did not qualify 6 1 4 1 5 5
Ghana Nigeria 2000 Group stage 16th 3 0 1 2 2 6 8 5 1 2 15 10
Mali 2002 Did not qualify 8 3 3 2 13 10
Tunisia 2004 6 2 0 4 7 7
Egypt 2006 12 3 5 4 15 14
Ghana 2008 4 2 1 1 6 5
Angola 2010 Group stage 10th 3 1 1 1 2 2 6 4 0 2 8 3
Gabon Equatorial Guinea 2012 Quarter-finals 5th 4 3 1 0 7 3 Qualified as hosts
South Africa 2013 Did not qualify 2 0 1 1 2 3
Equatorial Guinea 2015 Group stage 12th 3 1 0 2 2 3 6 3 3 0 9 4
Gabon 2017 9th 3 0 3 0 2 2 Qualified as host
Egypt 2019 Did not qualify 6 2 2 2 7 5
Cameroon 2021 Round of 16 12th 4 1 3 0 5 4 6 3 1 2 8 6
Ivory Coast 2023 Did not qualify 6 2 1 3 3 5
Morocco 2025 Qualified 6 3 1 2 7 9
Kenya Tanzania Uganda 2027 To be determined To be determined
2029
Total Quarter-finals 9/35 25 7 10 8 24 27 116 43 30 43 135 108

African Nations Championship

  • 2011 – Group stage
  • 2014 – Quarter-finals
  • 2016 – Group stage

Team Achievements

Regional Cups

  • CEMAC Cup
    • Champions: 2013
    • Runners-up: 2007
    • Third place: 2005, 2006
  • UDEAC Cup
    • Champions: 1985, 1988
    • Third place: 1987, 1989
  • UNIFAC Cup
    • Champions: 1999
  • Central African Games
    • Bronze medal: 1976, 1981

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Gabón para niños

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