Can’t Catch A Break! Aubameyang’s Gabon Return Blocked By CAF

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has blocked the return of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and two other players to the Gabon squad due to post Covid concerns.

Aubameyang was a notable omission when the team sheets for the match between Gabon and Ghana were announced.

It was all the more surprising because Gabon had earlier announced that Aubameyang and Mario Lemina had recovered from the virus and would be involved in the game against Ghana.

However, it has been announced by the Gabon Football Federation that Aubameyang was scheduled to take part in the match but CAF had intervened and stopped his participation based on some post covid concerns.

The federation made the announcement via their social media handle on Twitter which read: “According to the Caf medical commission, the players Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Axel Meye and Mario Lemina, barely out of Covid, cannot take part in the match. The examinations have shown cardiac lesions, and Caf did not want to take any risks.”

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Aubameyang was confirmed to have tested positive on arrival with the Gabon squad to Cameroon just a few days to the start of the Africa Cup of Nations.

The striker was then forced into isolation and subsequently missed Gabon’s opening match against Comoros which they won by a goal to nil.

Aubameyang was then set to return to action against Ghana as confirmed by assistant coach Anicet Yala on Thursday after the striker returned a negative Covid result but it was not to be as CAF intervened.

On the other hand, Panthers coach Patrice Neveu was a surprising presence in the Gabon entourage. The Frenchman had missed Thursday’s press conference having returned a positive Covid test and was reported to be in isolation.

However, Neveu travelled with the team and led them out to the pitch ahead of the game on Friday.

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