'The last straw': Gabon's Aubameyang retires from international football after fallout

[p]The top scorer in the history of the Panthers was singled out by the Gabonese government as responsible for the AFCON failure.[/p][p][b]"They humiliated and smeared me even though I played at the AFCON while injured," [/b]the 37-year-old said in a television interview.[/p][p][b]"This is the last straw, and I'd rather stop here."[/b][/p][image alt="Aubameyang's stats for Gabon" id="5e583145-6487-4a94-bb8d-03f2059f3987" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="1717f669-2b43-4159-9fe1-972239f013ad" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/gabon/YJL8W78U/"]Gabon[/a] were eliminated from the AFCON in the group stage after three defeats, the last of which came against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ivory-coast/G2FRjBgn/"]Ivory Coast[/a]. "It's a part of our national identity that has been weakened," Gabonese President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema said at the time.[/p][p][b]The government fired the coaching staff, suspended the team until further notice and sidelined [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/aubameyang-pierre-emerick/Wl4EyKZk/"]Aubameyang[/a] and 38-year-old [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ecuele-bruno/fTCLKJTc/"]Bruno Ecuele Manga[/a].[/b][/p][p]The suspension of these veteran mainstays of the squad sparked a wave of outrage among Gabonese supporters.[/p][p][b]"I think the team's problems run much deeper than the little person that I am,"[/b] said Aubameyang who was one of Europe's top strikers during his time at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/dortmund/nP1i5US1/"]Borussia Dortmund[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a].[/p][p]The Gabonese striker has set himself what is likely to be a final challenge in Europe, leaving [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/marseille/SblU3Hee/"]Marseille[/a] to join [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/dep-a-coruna/Q51ZzMS6/"]Deportivo La Coruna[/a], who have just returned to La Liga after a long spell in the wilderness.[/p][p]Gabon's new national team coach, Sebastien Migne, will now have to plan without Aubameyang as he prepares his team for their first qualifiers later this month for next year's AFCON.[/p][p]Gabon are in Group A with World Cup quarter-finalists [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/morocco/IDKYO3R8/"]Morocco[/a] as well as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/niger/Eevd7UNo/"]Niger[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lesotho/fTM4XmgO/"]Lesotho[/a].[/p]