The Gabon national football team, known as Les Panthères (The Panthers), represents the Central African nation in international association football. The team is governed by the Fédération Gabonaise de Football and competes in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers and other CAF competitions. Gabon's domestic football structure dates to 1968, when the national league, the Championnat National Foot 1, was established, providing the foundation for developing national team talent.
Gabon has qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations on multiple occasions, with their most notable AFCON participation coming as co-hosts of the 2012 tournament alongside Equatorial Guinea. The squad built around star forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang represented one of the team's most prominent eras, with Aubameyang becoming the country's most recognizable football export and long-serving captain.
The national side draws its identity from a relatively small but passionate football nation in Central Africa, bordered by Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and the Republic of Congo. Despite limited resources compared to some African football powerhouses, Gabon has carved out a presence on the continental stage. The team faced a significant institutional setback in early 2026 when the government ordered an indefinite suspension of the national team's activities, dismissed coaching staff, and banned Aubameyang and Bruno Ekele Manga following a winless campaign at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, marking a turbulent chapter in the program's development.