Crisis in Middle East displaces African footballers including Gabon trio

Gabon has managed to repatriate three of its players from Iran as the current conflict in the Middle East continues.

A joint attack by the United States and Israel on Saturday, February 28, pushed the region closer to war. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks against Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates — countries where many African players are currently based.

According to L’Union, three Gabonese players who were plying their trade in the Iran Pro League left the country on Saturday after the attacks began. The players are Didier Ndong, Éric Bocoum, and Jérémie Obounet.

All three reportedly had to travel more than 1,000 kilometers by road to reach the border crossing into Türkiye. Former Sunderland midfielder Ndong has already arrived in the Gabonese capital of Libreville, according to state-owned media. Morocco international Munir El Haddadi also left Iran via Türkiye and is said to be safe.

With the cancellation of flights across parts of the Middle East, African players competing in Gulf region leagues have been unable to leave. Israel expanded its attacks to Lebanon on Monday, March 2, leading to the suspension of the Lebanese Premier League since Saturday, February 28. The Lebanese top flight hosts 42 African players, with Senegal accounting for 11 of them.

Some matches in the Jordan Pro League were postponed, although games have continued since Sunday, March 1. The league features 17 African players, six of whom are Egyptian. Gulf region leagues are also home to a significant number of African footballers.