Gabon national football team

Mens national football team.

The Gabon national football team, known as Les Panthères (The Panthers), represents Gabon in men's international football. It is governed by the Gabonese Football Federation (Fédération Gabonaise de Football, FEGAFOOT) and is a member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The team's colors are primarily red, yellow, and green, reflecting the national flag.

Gabon has qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations eight times since their debut in 1994, with their best results coming in 1996 and 2012 when they reached the quarter-finals. They have yet to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. The team made its first international appearance on April 13, 1960, against Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), losing 5-4.

The highest FIFA ranking for Gabon was 30th in July 2009, while their lowest was 125th in April-May 2003. As of October 2024, they are ranked 85th. Gabon plays its home matches at Stade d'Angondjé in Libreville.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the team's captain and top scorer, holding the record with 33 goals and also having made significant contributions to the team's successes. Didier Ovono holds the record for most caps with 112 appearances. The team's biggest win came in a friendly match against Benin, where they won 7-0 on April 2, 1995.

In recent years, Gabon has shown competitive spirit in various tournaments. They co-hosted the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012 and had a memorable run that included a dramatic victory over Morocco to advance to the knockout stage. However, they faced challenges in subsequent tournaments, including failing to qualify for the World Cup and experiencing early exits from the Africa Cup of Nations.