Aubameyang set to miss Gabon's AFCON opener

Gabon's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Friday Jan 07, 2022. 10:00

Gabon have been dealt a massive blow with the news that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has tested positive for COVID-19 just days before the Africa Cup of Nations gets underway.

The Panthers captain was released early by Arsenal in order to join the rest of Patrice Neveu’s squad for a training camp in Dubai.

However, the Gabonese Football Federation (FEGAFOOT) took to Twitter on Thursday to announce that Aubameyang and Nice midfielder Mario Lemina had returned positive tests upon landing in Cameroon.

Neveu’s side kick off their AFCON campaign against the Comoros on January 10 and they are set to be without the 32-year-old striker, who has scored 29 goals in 71 appearances for his country.

It is another setback for Aubameyang after he was stripped of the captaincy and dropped by Gunners head coach Mikel Arteta last month for a disciplinary breach.