Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has retired from international football.
This means he will no longer represent his home country, Gabon, in any international game.
The 32-year-old played 72 times for Gabon and is their all-time leading scorer with 30 goals.
Gabon’s Football Federation said it received a letter from Aubameyang on Tuesday, May 17, informing them of his decision.
“After 13 years of representing my country with pride, I would like to tell you that I am ending my international career,” the 32-year-old wrote in an open letter to Gabon fans.
“I would like to thank the Gabonese people and all those who have supported me in the good times as well as the bad times. I will always have great memories like the day I came back from Nigeria with the African Player of the year award. Sharing it with everyone is an unforgettable moment” he added thanking his father who made him proud by wearing the country’s flag colours.
With Aubameyang at the heart of the team, Gabon reached the quarter-finals of the 2012 African Cup of Nations to equal their best performance in international competitions.
Aubameyang’s last tournament with Gabon was a bitter disappointment, though, when he contracted Covid at the start of this year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon and had to withdraw from the tournament without playing a game after being diagnosed with heart lesions.
He announced his decision to retire from internationals two weeks before Gabon start their qualifying campaign for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.
