A hidden reason led the Gabonese Football Federation to send two national team players, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Arsenal and Mario Lemina from Nice, back to their clubs in England and France. They traveled urgently from Cameroon before completing the first round of the Africa Cup of Nations due to a brawl involving the hotel security over the company of women.
The incident happened when Aubameyang, Lemina, and an assistant coach left the team's accommodation without permission during a training session. Team officials were unable to reach them after they turned off their phones, and they returned to the hotel in the early hours of the morning accompanied by women whom the hotel security refused entry. The three got into a scuffle with hotel security, who informed the team officials and reported the incident to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Immediately, the Gabonese federation coordinated with the national team's head coach, Patrice Neveu, to agree to the request from Arsenal and Nice for the pair to leave and expedite their departure from Cameroon on Tuesday, excluding them from the tournament entirely. Arsenal and Nice requested that the players return to resume their recovery in England and France after learning of their COVID-19 infections following Gabon's second match against Ghana. After the incident with hotel security, the Gabonese federation did not hesitate to approve the request and decided on their swift travel, especially after the hotel management reported the incident to CAF.
The Gabonese national team qualified for the Round of 16 from Group C along with Morocco, topping the group, after a successful campaign that earned them 5 points through a draw with Ghana and Morocco, and a win against the Comoros Islands.
