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Gabon Coup : When Ali Bongo, The Now-ousted President Chauffeured Lionel Messi In A G-Wagon
Gabon Coup : When Ali Bongo, the now-ousted President chauffeured Lionel Messi in a Mercedes G-Wagon.
During the short journey around the stadium, Messi sat in the front passenger seat of the open-top Mercedes G-Class.
Ali Bongo allegedly paid the 7-times Ballon d’Or winner around £2.4 million to fly to Gabon back in July 2015.
It’s been over 8 years since soccer legend and Argentinian star Lionel Messi made a surprise visit to Gabon to lay the first stone at a future 2017 Africa Cup of Nations stadium.
On arrival at the Central African nation on Saturday, Messi was driven around the stadium by Gabon President Ali Bongo Ondimba, who was ousted on earlier today by the military officers of the country after 14 years of rule.
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During the short but symbolic journey around the stadium, Messi sat in the front passenger seat of the open-top Mercedes-Benz G-Class while the Gabonese leader got behind the wheel.
Reacting to the claim that the seven-times Ballon d’Or winner (4 Ballon d’Ors in 2015 at the time of visit) was allegedly paid around £2.4 million to fly to Gabon, Ali Bongo said :
“When I was in Barcelona a few years ago, I met Messi, who had told me that he would come to visit me in Libreville. It’s a promise he made me. He is a man of honour who just kept his word.”
Gabon’s French embassy also issued a statement to deny making any payment to Messi :
“The Republic of Gabon firmly deny to have transferred or to have promised to transfer any sum of money to the Argentine international Lionel Messi. He was in Gabon on July 17 and 18 following an invitation from Ali Bongo.”
