There have been allegations of sexual abuse in Gabon since the early 1990s.

During an Under-17 football camp, one victim, who wished to remain anonymous, described what happened to him. In the middle of the night, he and his best friend were taken to a room filled with naked men.

“They started touching me and my friend and I didn’t understand. I started praying. I wanted to leave, but the door was locked. They grabbed me and threw me to the ground. It was like they had been prepared,” he said.

As they began to rape my friend, I looked at him, and he looked back at me as if to say: ‘Let’s just go along with them and get over it.’ I cried and screamed and screamed.

‘They told me that I would never be selected to play ever again and that if I spoke to anyone about what happened, my family would be killed.'”

He never played again for Gabon. Former Gabon international Parfait Ndong set up his academy Jardin de football au Gabon in 2019. His illustrious playing career in Europe and 45 caps make him a respected figure in Gabonese football. He said he alerted authorities when he realized what was happening.

During that time, he said he spoke to the sports minister, the president of the league, and the president of the national football federation.

After these efforts were ignored, he turned to local media: “No-one cared what I had to say.”

Four coaches were arrested only after the Guardian newspaper reported the abuse in December 2021. There are still three of them in prison.