“Disrespectful and Shameful”: Aubameyang distributes finger emojis against the Africa Association

It’s just a little character, an emoticon or emoji for short. Depending on who brings it into the world, its reach becomes much greater. For example, when the captain of a national football team uses it on Instagram and shares his opinion with his community of ten million followers.

It is Monday evening when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, frustrated, sits on the team bus, in a hotel or elsewhere and writes an unmistakable message on his mobile. The emoji, a stinking finger, addressed to the African association. In short: Aubameyang, Granit Xhaka’s teammate at Arsenal, thinks there are some assholes working at CAF.

What happened? Well, Auba, as is well known, is not only the captain of Arsenal, he is also the pride of the Central African nation of Gabon, their most prominent player ever. On Monday he will go to Gambia with the team, after all it’s about qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations. Gabon got off to a good start with two wins and a draw in three games.

But the trip to Gambia will be quite a long exercise. The Gabonese have to wait for the results of their tests at the airport, the Gambian authorities prevent them from entering their country. Aubameyang also documents this in detail on Instagram, for example by filming his colleagues trying to fall asleep on the floor.

On Twitter, addressed to the African Association, he wrote: “I just want to know why the Gambia has kept our passports for so long. Are we hostages or what? Will you close your eyes?“ The association must take responsibility for it, it will finally be 2020, Africa wants to grow, “but that’s not how we get there“. On the Gambian side, it is said that the Gabonese has not respected the Covid measures, in fact not many players with masks are seen in the videos of the airport.

The former Dortmund Aubameyang but also tries to spread good humor. It’s almost six in the morning when the team leaves Banjuls airport, Aubameyang writes: “Thanks for the extra motivation, Gambia.” IS: “Whatever the result, if I look at the faces of our players, we have already won.“

After a short night, the match started on Monday and it was already at 4pm. Apparently, at least this is how Aubameyang’s latest Instagram message, the one with the middle finger, can be interpreted, the African federation has not shown much interest in postponing the game of at least a few hours or even a day.

Gabon lost 1: 2, brothers Mousa and Modou Barrow scored for Gambier, led by Jagne Pa Modou, the former FCZ and Sion player. Gabun’s goal in the 89th minute came a bit late, now the two nations share first place in Group D, in which the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola also play.

The night after the game the unmistakable message from Aubameyang came, he wrote that not many words were needed, but he was proud of the panthers, he said Nickname of the Gabonese national team. Serge Aurier, player of the Ivorian national team, has more to say, describes the association’s behavior as disrespectful and shameful. And he writes: “Do you want respect for our community in this world? Let’s start with self-respect.“