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2012 Olympics Football Korea Republic vs Gabon Photo by Simon Q

10 Best Football (Soccer) Players from Gabon

Gabon is one of the best African nations when it comes to football. The country has a national team called the Gabon national football team which represents Gabon in men’s international football. The team’s nickname is The Panthers and it is governed by the Gabonese Football Federation.

They have never qualified for the FIFA World Cup, but have qualified eight times (as of 2021) for the Africa Cup of Nations. The team represents both FIFA and Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Let’s take a look at some of the best players the country has ever produced;

1.Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Left) Photo sourced from

Pierre-Emerick Emiliano Francois Aubameyang who was born on 18 June 1989 is a Gabonese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Premier League club Chelsea and is the current captain of the Gabon national team. He is known for his pace, finishing, and off-ball movement. Aubameyang plays mainly as a striker, but has also been deployed as a wide forward.

Born in Laval, Aubameyang is the son of former Gabon captain Pierre Aubameyang. Aubameyang made his debut for the Gabon national team in 2009 at age 19, and ranks their all-time top goalscorer, having registered 24 goals in 59 games for his country.

2.Bruno Ecuele Manga

Bruno Ecuele Manga Photo sourced from

Bruno Ecuele Manga is a Gabonese football player who plays as defender for Dijon Football Côte d’Or of Ligue 1. He is also an important member of the Gabon national team, helping his team reach the quarterfinals of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

He is renowned for his tackling skills, and is widely regarded as one of the toughest tacklers in the game. He has accumulated 87 caps in the national team to date, representing the side at four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.

3.Daniel Cousin

Daniel Michel Cousin (born 7 February 1977) is a Gabonese former professional footballer who played as a striker. He played for several football clubs including; Martigues, Chamois Niortais, Le Mans Union Club 72, RC Lens, Rangers, Hull City, Larissa and Sapins. 

He also represented Gabon national team in 56 outings where he scored 13 goals and is among the best strikers the country has had. He has also worked as a coach for various sides including the Gabon national team where he had a short stint as manager. 

4.Didier Ovono

Didier Ovono (left) and Daniel Cousin (right) Photo by Bhaudry Massouanga

Didier Janvier Ovono Ebang (born 23 January 1983) is Gabonese professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper. Ovono joined Championnat National 2 club FCSR Haguenau in February 2021 where he is currently playing though has not made any appearances for them. 

He retired from the national team in May 2017 but later on, he came out of retirement to be the first Gabonese player to have 100 or more international appearances. He is Gabon’s most capped player with 112 appearances for the National team. 

5.Aaron Boupendza

Aaron Salem Boupendza Pozzi (born 7 August 1996) is a Gabonese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Saudi club Al-Shabab and the Gabon national team. He is renowned for his speed and can make an impression on the game from either side. 

Boupendza can also play as an attacking midfielder. He has represented the Gabon national team on several occasions making a total of appearances 19 and scoring 5 goals for the Panthers. He is among the best players from the country and among the most prolific players the country has ever produced. 

6.Mario Lemina

Mario Rene Junior Lemina born 1 September 1993) is a Gabonese professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Ligue 1 club Nice.He has also played for French sides Lorient and Marseille and Italian side Juventus in 2015, where he won the domestic double in both of his seasons with the club.

He has also played for English sides Southampton and Fulham and also Turkish club Galatasaray. A former French international at youth level, Lemina went on to represent Gabon at senior level, making his senior international debut in 2017. He later represented Gabon at the 2017 and 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. He has a total of 24 appearances and three goals to his name. 

7.Guelor Kanga

Guelor Kanga (born 1 September 1990) is a Gabonese professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Red Star Belgrade and the Gabon national team.Ever since his debut in 2012, Kanga has been a regular at Gabon national football team. 

Kanga has made a total of 60 appearances since his debut in 2012 and has scored two goals during that time. He is among the highly rated players who have been produced by Gabon. He has also played for several clubs in his career among them his current club Red Star Belgrade. 

8.Andre Biyogo Poko

Andre Ivan Biyogo Poko (born 7 March 1993) is a Gabonese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Saudi Arabian club Al-Khaleej and the Gabon national team. He was part of the Gabon national team in the 2021 AFCON tournament in Cameroon. 

He has represented his country in 73 appearances and scored 3 goals in his stint as a Gabonese national player. He has also played for various clubs during his young career including French sides Bordeaux and Goztepe. 

9.Frederic Bulot

Frederic Bulot Wagha (born 27 September 1990), better known as Frederic Bulot, is a Gabonese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Doxa Katokopias. He was a French youth international, having earned caps with all levels, beginning with the under-16 team.He has represented Gabon in 22 appearances scoring 2 goals in the process. 

Bulot was eligible for both France and Gabon on senior international level due to being born to a French father and Gabonese mother. He received his first called up to the Gabon national team in February 2014. He made his international debut in a friendly match against Morocco on 5 March 2014.

10.Malick Evouna

Malick Evouna who was born on 28 November 1992 is a Gabonese professional footballer who plays as a striker for Egyptian club Aswan SC. He has played for several clubs and across the globe with most of his destinations being several African countries. 

He has also played in other Asia and Middle East. He is known for his ability to play as a striker and as a forward in both wings and has represented Gabon in several outings. He has won a total of 33 caps for his country and scored 12 goals in the process making him among the top scorers for his country. 

This country is blessed with even more talent than the one we have listed above and though it is currently not going to be represented in the coming 2022 world cup, it is certainly going to feature in the world cup in the near future.