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Gabon coach Thierry Mouyouma believes Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was robbed of the 2024 African Ballon d'Or.
Gabon head coach Thierry Mouyouma has reignited debate over the 2024 CAF African Player of the Year award, insisting that veteran striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang should have taken home the coveted prize instead of Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman.
Speaking after Gabon’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Gambia in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers at Kenya’s Kasarani Stadium— a match in which Aubameyang scored all four goals — Mouyouma said the 36-year-old had once again proven why he remains one of the continent’s elite players.
“Aubameyang showed today that he’s still one of Africa’s best players,” Mouyouma declared to the media on Friday.
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“Last season, they didn’t give him the African Player of the Year — that was a mistake. He proved again tonight that he’s still at the top.”
The Gabonese captain, who currently plays for Olympique Marseille, has been in resurgent form both at club and international level.
During the 2023/24 season, Aubameyang was named Marseille player of the year, having scored 29 goals for them.
His leadership also helped inspire Gabon’s strong start in the World Cup qualifiers, where they remain in contention for a historic ticket to the 2026 tournament.
Despite his stellar performances, CAF voters awarded the 2024 Player of the Year honour to Ademola Lookman, whose phenomenal season with Atalanta saw him lift the UEFA Europa League after scoring a memorable hat-trick in the final against Bayer Leverkusen.
The Nigerian international’s consistency across both club and international competitions swayed the panel in his favour.
Aubameyang a Seasoned Award Winner
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Aubameyang, however, is no stranger to CAF recognition. He won the African Player of the Year in 2015, beating four-time winner Yaya Touré, and has finished in the top three on five occasions throughout his career — more than any other Gabonese player in history.
With Gabon now potentially one win away from sealing qualification for the 2026 World Cup, Aubameyang’s form could yet write another golden chapter in his illustrious career — and perhaps reinforce Mouyouma’s belief that CAF made a mistake in overlooking him.