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Hosts Gabon leave Africa Cup of Nations unbeaten but uninspiring

José Antonio Camacho had hoped his side could unite the politically-divided nation but their joyless and unimaginative football did not excite the fansAs boos rang around the rapidly emptying Stade de l’Amitié, Gabon’s left-winger Denis Bouanga wept. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, after another underwhelming display, walked straight off the pitch, head bowed, shoulders defensively hunched. A goalless draw against Cameroon put Gabon out of the Africa Cup of Nations and made them only the fourth hosts in 31 tournaments and the first since Tunisia in 1994 to fail to make it out of the group stage. Related: Hosts Gabon crash out of Africa Cup of Nations after Cameroon draw Related: Afcon 2017: how did South Africa and Nigeria, Africa's richest nations, miss...

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International football: 10 things to look out for in World Cup 2018 qualifying

Gareth Southgate should have taken radical action over England captaincy, Hal Robson-Kanu may be needed by Wales and how long can Didier Deschamps do without Karim Benzema?Captaincy is among the biggest red herrings in football: all players are supposed to set examples with their performances and leaders lead with or without an armband. And yet the England captaincy matters simply because a lot of people think it matters. Steven Gerrard was upset when it was taken off him by a caretaker manager, Stuart Pearce, and David Beckham was uplifted when it was given to him by a caretaker manager, Peter Taylor. The country’s latest caretaker manager, Gareth Southgate, should have de-fetishised the armband by announcing England do not need a...

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