Gabon captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has stated his intent on becoming the next superstar of African football.
The forward scored in Gabon’s 2-0 victory over Burkina Faso in the African Cup of Nations this past Saturday, and after the game said: “I try to do the maximum to become one of the greats like Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o.
“I don’t feel any pressure to be like them, but there is maybe a level of expectation around me.”
Is he Dortmund’s saviour?
The 25 year old, best known for his blistering acceleration and speed currently leads the way for his club in terms of goals, yet has only scored 5, as his side Dortmund have surprisingly struggled this year.
Borussia Dortmund currently sit second-bottom in the Bundesliga, and need big performances from star players such as Aubameyang to save their season.
The skipper of the Gabonese national side is finding international football much less of a struggle at the moment.
In Gabon’s first game of Africa’s biggest football tournament, Aubameyang scored one and set up the other in his sides 2-0 win, and looks to push on from the result.
Learning from past mistakes
His most recent Cup of Nations performance was hugely different to his last contribution in the 2012 tournament, as he missed the decisive penalty in a quarter-final shootout defeat to Mali.
He said: “That penalty I missed against Mali in the quarter-final, even if I missed it, remains a good memory for me because it made me grow up.
“I hope we reach the quarter-finals again this time, and if we get another penalty then I will score it.”
Gabon find themselves in Group A of the African Cup of Nations this year, alongside Burkina Faso, Equatorial Guinea and Congo, who they face next with a win certainly qualifying them for the next stage.
Coach Jorge Costa described Burkina Faso as the toughest side in the group, and believes Aubameyang is vital to Gabon’s tournament.
Baldry's Blog 