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Gabon's
coach Jose Antonio Rocha (L) speaks with team forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
after a match at the Mandela National stadium in Kampala, in November 2016
©Haribou Kouyate (AFP)
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With just days to go
before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's Gabon begin their quest to win the Africa
Cup of Nations on home soil, the mood in the host nation remains gloomy.
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An
entertainer dressed as Samba, the mascot of the 2017 African Cup of Nations,
arrives to a ticket office as tickets for the tournament go on sale in
Nzang-Ayong, Gabon, on December 15, 2016 ©Steve Jordan (AFP)
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While
the final touches are being put on the four stadiums due to host matches in the
January 14-February 5 tournament, the small central African state remains in
the midst of a social and political crisis.
On
the streets of the capital Libreville, decorated with banners advertising the
upcoming continental tournament, workmen have been busy applying a final lick
of white paint to the edges of pavements.
In
the other host cities of Oyem in the north, Franceville in the south-east and
Port-Gentil, the country's oil capital, final adjustments are still being made
around the stadiums.
But
the atmosphere on the streets is yet to pick up and the mood around the
end-of-year celebrations in Gabon was somewhat moribund at a time when the
country is struggling with a severe economic crisis caused by the collapse of
the price of oil.
Oil
is the main source of revenue in the country of 1.8 million people and with a
large number of economic migrants from the likes of Senegal, Burkina Faso and
Cameroon.
"Libreville,
Port-Gentil, Franceville and Oyem have lost their reputations as energetic,
teeming cities of party animals," stated an opinion piece in the national
daily L'Union on Wednesday.
President
Ali Bongo Ondimba's re-election in August, which was validated by the
constitutional court, is contested by the opposition and the European Union and
led to deadly unrest in the country.
In
his New Year message to the nation, Bongo accepted the difficulties currently
faced by many in the country.
"Many
of our compatriots have been badly affected by the fall-out from the world
economic crisis. Many jobs have been lost in the oil industry in
particular," he said.
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Boycott calls -
In
recent months there have been continual calls for strike action, notably in
public sector jobs, amid demands for social as well as political change.
Close
to six months have passed since the presidential election, but opposition
leader Jean Ping continues to declare himself the rightful winner and has
called on the people of Gabon to resist against "the dictatorship".
Opposition
newspapers have made regular calls to boycott the Cup of Nations, which gets
underway when Gabon face debutants Guinea-Bissau on January 14, or to use the
tournament as a soundbox for their ideas.
Still
traumatized by the post-election violence, some in Gabon are dreading the
prospect of incidents around matches, notably in the traditionally rebellious
city of Port-Gentil and in Oyem.
The
head of state has tried to calm the tensions by reiterating his promise to open
political dialogue "the day after the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations
ends," but Ping has so far rejected this.
Bongo
described 2016 as "a difficult year due to an election campaign marred by
hatred and by a post-election situation that saw tension rise to unacceptable
levels for our people."
A
big football fan, Bongo is hoping the Cup of Nations -- CAN to give it its
acronym in French -- can bring a period of calm.
"These
should be moments of joy, of coming together and of shared joy," he
insisted.
A
Gabon squad led by the prolific Borussia Dortmund striker Aubameyang and also
featuring the likes of Juventus midfielder Mario Lemina and Didier Ndong of
English Premier League side Sunderland are dreaming of winning the trophy for
the first time.
But
the locals are yet to be completely won over by the prospect of following The
Panthers, who are also in a group with Burkina Faso and illustrious neighbours
Cameroon.
"Our minds are not on
football," admitted unemployed Libreville resident Stephane Mba.
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