Gabon were tipped to compete for the top honours in Group F before the tournament began, but the Panthers instead are heading home after suffering two defeats from two. Having entered AFCON 2025 with a 15-match winless run at the continental showpiece, the Mambas’ loss to Ivory Coast extended that sequence to 16 matches; however, it changed against Gabon on Sunday when both teams played out a five-goal thriller. Not helped by falling 2–0 and 3–1 behind, Mouyouma’s team could not secure the draw needed to keep them alive entering the final round of matches. Aiming to take advantage of an eliminated opponent, Fae’s men head into Wednesday having not suffered a loss in six matches at the Cup of Nations, a streak stretching back to the previous tournament. While there might have been pre-AFCON 2023 pressure as hosts, Fae took over mid-tournament with the Elephants only just squeaking through as one of the leading third-placed teams.

Source: GhanaWeb December 31, 2025 16:02 UTC