AFCON 2021: Aubameyang rubbishes disciplinary rumours over exit; insists medical grounds real reason

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will not be playing for Gabon in the 2021 AFCON. While rumours suggested he was sent back on disciplinary grounds, he confirmed that the reason was purely medical.

Gabon will be without star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Rumours were floating around that he was sent back on disciplinary ground. However, the Arsenal striker has confirmed that the stories are baseless and that he was sent back purely for medical reasons.

Earlier, Aubameyang had tested positive for COVID just days before the tournament got underway in Cameroon. He had reportedly partied in Dubai with friends, leading to him contracting the virus. However, before Gabon’s second game against Ghana, he was diagnosed with cardiac lesions, as he was ruled out of the entire tournament.

As speculations started to do rounds that Aubameyang was ruled out on disciplinary grounds, the Gabonese took to Twitter to clarify the entire issue. “We have problems that are already complicated to solve. Then on top of that, there are rumours. In short, we have health to take care of first and foremost. I won’t go back on these false rumours, and I sincerely hope that our team will go as far as possible,” he wrote.

Clarifying on the same, Patrice Neveu (Gabon head coach) stated that the decision was taken to conduct further tests on Aubameyang that was not possible in the tournament. “Since yesterday, the decision was taken to send them home to their club. We can’t judge it here. We can’t assess the pathology of Covid here,” he was quoted as saying by Goal.

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“Mario must return to Nice, and Pierre returns to Arsenal. It’s a decision that we’ve made among ourselves. Losing Pierre-Emerick and Mario, it’s a lot for this team. We don’t have the squad of Nigeria or Morocco, and we know we’re in hard competition,” Neveu concluded.