Football moves the crowds
The Stade d'Angondjé (or Stade de l'Amitié sino-gabonaise), which has twice hosted the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012 (where Gabon finished quarter-finalists, its best result since 1996) and 2017, is always packed when the national team plays at home. Led by their star and Arsenal Premier League striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the Panthères are still looking for their first World Cup qualification.
Combat sports, great results
Judo, karate, taekwondo. Karate is widely practiced in Gabon, and it's not uncommon to see training sessions on the beach at weekends. Some local karatekas, such as Mountou Taty Dan, have even made it to the podium in international competitions. The same goes for judo, which has carried Gabon's colors high thanks to its world military champion Mélanie Engouang, who held the Gabonese flag at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Sarah Myriam Mazouz will be taking part in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Finally, taekwondo is also very popular with the younger generation. In London in 2012, it won a silver medal, which remains Gabon's only medal at an Olympiad.
Boxing. Boxing is one of the mass sports that represent Gabon with dignity abroad, as when Taylor Mabika became world heavyweight champion in 2016.
Songho, the traditional hobby
Also known as awalé, songho is a clever and subtle game of strategy, governed by specific rules. Decorative and playful, it is sold in craft villages in the capital's downtown area. To see the Gabonese playing songho or checkers, another popular game, you need to stroll through working-class districts such as Rio, in Libreville, or the maquis of small towns and villages in the provinces.
At sea, gliding but especially fishing
Surfing - Kitesurfing. Kitesurfing has become very popular in Libreville over the last few years, and we often take off from the Guégué bridge. If you're lucky, you'll even be able to ride alongside dolphins. Surfing is practiced at the end of Pointe Denis, near the Gombé lighthouse or on the beaches of Cap, in Port-Gentil.
Fishing. Gabon's worldwide reputation as a first-class fishing site is well established, particularly for its prodigious tarpon catches. A popular leisure activity, fishing attracts hundreds of tourists every year, especially to sites ranked among the best in the world. The lagoons of Iguéla, Ndogo (Sette Cama) and Fernan Vaz are renowned for their captains, barracudas, red carp, the famous tarpon and trevally weighing between 50 and 100 kg. Surf-casting, trolling, at sea or in the lagoons, sport fishing remains one of the country's flagship activities. Fishing is at its best during the rainy season, from September to April.
