Despite a third place in the standings and no defeats, Olympique de Marseille has only two victories in four Ligue 1 matches. Reflecting this mixed start to the season, OM’s Gabonese striker, Pierre -Emerick Aubameyang, struggling to find his feet.
Arriving this summer in the Marseille city from the London club Chelsea, where he was in great difficulty, the former AS Saint-Étienne scorer has still not scored a single goal for his return to Ligue 1. Aubameyang had managed to find the net twice during the return match between OM and Panathinaikos. Despite a double, the Gabonese and the Olympians were eliminated from the Champions League on penalties, in the 3rd qualifying round against the Greek club.
Since these two goals, Aubameyang has no longer been decisive in front of the opposing goal. Whether with Marseille or with the Gabon national team, the situation is the same. On September 9, Gabon faced Mauritania in the qualifying matches for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, but the former Barça striker, the holder, helplessly insisted on his country’s defeat against the Mourabitounes ( 2-1). A setback which condemned Gabon to participate in the next CAN.
A huge disappointment for the Marseille striker who returned to the selection last May, a year after announcing his international retirement. A return due largely to the intervention of Gabonese President Ali Bongo, who wanted the scorer to return to the selection. A privileged relationship with the president of the country which has made Aubameyang less and less popular in his country, especially since the military coup of General Brice Olingi, which ended the reign of the Bongo family. Critics had become increasingly hostile towards the Panther.
On social networks, the Gabonese did not hesitate to directly attack the man who was considered an idol just a few years ago. Internet users also threatened to report the Olympique de Marseille Facebook page if it continued to display the photo of the attacker with the Gabonese flag. These same detractors who attributed Gabon’s defeat against Mauritania to Aubameyang’s ineffectiveness, justifying the fact that before his return to the selection, Gabon was at the top of its qualifying group for CAN 2024.
At 34, the striker with 30 goals in 74 caps for Gabon could, definitively and officially, end his adventure with the national team. But before that, the former Borussia Dortmund will be keen to find the net again and guide Olympique de Marseille to victory this Sunday against Toulouse.
