Officially, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mario Lemina have left the Gabon team due to medical reasons, after contracting Covid-19 a few days before the start of the African Cup of Nations. But the reality would be completely different. Their departure will in fact be related to a behavioral problem.

The two players were already at the center of the controversy even before the start of the competition for an evening in a nightclub. And they were doing it again on Sunday evening, two days before the decisive match, Tuesday, against Morocco. Accompanied by Willy Aubameyang, who is the brother of Pierre Emeric and manager of the Gabon team, the Arsenal striker and Nice midfielder left the hotel during training for the “Panthers”.

They would only return early in the morning, “around 5 a.m.,” “completely drunk” and accompanied by “girls who wanted to be brought to their rooms,” according to journalist Freddy Kolla, an RFI consultant. This could have caused “some quarrels between the security service and the players”. One of the players could go up with a young woman in his room.

The real reason for the dismissal of Aubameyang and Limina.

I have learned from an inside source that Aubameyang and Limina’s dismissal at their club would be more due to indiscipline than “medical reasons” (which are real).

Explanation here # Gabon team pic.twitter.com/x0EWfbIRJ8

– FreddyKoula January 17 2022

Facing these events, coach Patrice Nephew had made the decision to dismiss his two stars and bring them back to their two clubs, Arsenal and Nice. However, the facts were categorically denied and described as hearsay by the parties involved.

We already have complex problems to solve and there are rumors. In short, we have health that we must take care of above all, I will not go back to these false rumors and I sincerely hope that our team will go as far as possible,” Aubameyang, who is also facing difficulty at Arsenal due to behavior issues as well, wrote on Twitter.

We have really complex problems to solve, then rumors add to that, in short, we have health to look after first of all, and I will not go back to these false rumors and I hope with all my heart that our team will go as far as possible.

– AUBA⚡️ (Auba) January 17 2022

For her part, Lamina indicated that she doesn’t want to “feed lies that seek to harm me. I don’t care. I feel bad about my choices that are surrounded only by liars looking for a big fuss,” he wrote on Instagram. He also announced that he had ended his international career before finally deleting his message.