Less than 24 hours after mutually terminating his contract and stepping down as head coach of the Haitian men’s national football team, French manager Sébastien Migné has been officially appointed to lead Gabon’s senior national side, the Panthers, the Gabonese Football Federation (FEGAFOOT) confirmed Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
The 54-year-old’s departure from Haiti was announced in a heartfelt public resignation letter released the same day of his Gabonese appointment, marking an end to his two-year tenure at the helm of Les Grenadiers that ended in a historic milestone for Haitian football.
“It is with great emotion, but also immense pride, that I announce today the end of my mission as head coach of the Haitian national team,” Migné wrote in his statement. Since taking the role in 2024, Migné led the side through a groundbreaking campaign that secured Haiti’s first qualification for a men’s FIFA World Cup in modern history, a feat he called permanently etched into Haitian football history.
What makes the qualification even more remarkable is the extraordinary context in which it was achieved. Due to ongoing instability in Haiti, the entire qualifying campaign was played away from the Caribbean nation, with the team denied the chance to host matches in front of home fans. Despite the enormous disadvantage of competing as perma-visitors across every round of qualification, Migné’s squad leaned into remarkable resilience and collective selflessness to fight their way to the 2026 World Cup, putting Haiti back on the global football map in the process.
“This is no small feat. It’s a victory that transcends the pitch, restoring to an entire nation a pride and visibility it has long deserved,” Migné added.
In his resignation statement, the outgoing manager extended gratitude to every group that contributed to the historic run. He thanked his players for their unwavering commitment, courage, and dedicated effort to representing the Haitian jersey, noting that every performance reflected the will of the Haitian people. He also praised the work of the technical and medical support staff, whose behind-the-scenes professionalism and daily dedication made the achievement possible, thanked the Haitian Football Federation (FHF) for entrusting him with the role, and recognized the enduring passion of Haitian fans both inside the country and across the global diaspora, whose support served as a constant source of motivation for the squad.
Migné said he was leaving the role with a clear sense of fulfilled duty and deep gratitude for the work the group built together, adding that he wished the Haitian national team and all of Haitian football continued success in all future challenges.
Within 24 hours of Migné receiving his formal release letter from the FHF, FEGAFOOT finalized his hiring to replace former head coach Thierry Mouyouma, who was dismissed more than six months ago. The Gabonese role has remained vacant since the national team was suspended by the Gabonese government and its entire coaching staff was dissolved following the side’s first-round elimination from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations held in Morocco.
Migné brings extensive experience managing across African football to his new role, with prior senior coaching stints with the national teams of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Togo, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea, giving him deep familiarity with the landscape of African international football.