By Angu Lesley
Football Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon
Five years ago, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and his Gabon teammates were forced to sleep on the cold floor of an airport terminal in Banjul. On Friday night, the former Arsenal striker got his revenge — not with words, but with goals.
The 36-year-old rolled back the years with a stunning four-goal performance to inspire Gabon to a dramatic 4-3 victory over Gambia in a fiery World Cup qualifier packed with emotion, history, and no shortage of controversy.
“I didn’t forget what happened to us at the airport in Banjul — they made us sleep on the floor,” Aubameyang told reporters post-match.
“I apologise for the red card. Sometimes emotions run high. But today I was clinical — four shots, four goals. I am a top striker,” he added with a laugh — part defiance, part catharsis.
An afternoon of Drama — On and Off the Pitch
Aubameyang’s clinical finishing silenced the home crowd early as he netted twice in the first half, including a coolly taken penalty that oozed confidence. But Gambia — roared on by a partisan crowd and clearly eager to make amends of their own — refused to back down.
They pulled one back before the break and twice levelled in the second half, only for Aubameyang to strike again — once with a smart turn-and-finish, and finally with a trademark burst into the box to seal the winner.
It was a chaotic, high-tempo encounter that had everything: goals, cards, tempers, and an unmistakable sense of unfinished business. The final whistle was met with jubilation in the Gabon camp — and visible frustration among the Gambians.
A Striker’s Redemption
The red card Aubameyang received late in the match, for dissent following a crunching tackle, added to the spectacle but did little to overshadow his heroics. If anything, it underlined just how much this fixture still meant to him.
His return from international retirement earlier this year had raised questions about form and fitness. But on Friday, he delivered a performance worthy of his prime — and one that reminded Africa, and the world, that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is not done yet.
From Terminal Floors to the Top of the Scoresheet
The 2020 airport incident in Banjul remains one of the more infamous episodes in African football — a diplomatic incident dressed in football colours. Aubameyang’s long memory and sharper finishing brought the story full circle.
This time, it was Gabon who left Gambia with the last laugh — and their pride restored.
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