Didier Ndong has found himself in more trouble, five years after leaving Sunderland.
As per the Sunderland Echo, the Gabon Federation has confirmed that the midfielder has been sent home from the national team and questioned his ‘respect’ and ‘dignity’.
Didier Ndong is a name Sunderland fans won’t want to hear anytime soon, having sacked the midfielder back in 2018.
The 29-year-old moved to Wearside in a club-record £13.6 million deal from Lorient and went onto become a regular as Sunderland were relegated to the Championship.
Ndong’s performances only went downhill in the second tier and his straight red card against Cardiff City in January 2018 proved to be his last appearance before he was sent out on loan to Watford.
The Gabon international failed to make a single start for the Hornets before returning to Sunderland in League One, where he quickly expressed his desire to leave. Ndong failed to report to pre-season training as he looked to force through his departure and he remained absent and was eventually served notice for breach of contract.
Ndong – considered one of Sunderland’s biggest ever flops – went onto play for Guingamp, Dijon and Yeni Malatyaspor, before moving to Saudi Arabia with Al-Riyadh in the summer.
Ndong has been an ever-present figure in the Gabon national team since making his debut in 2012 and was recently called up for their World Cup qualifiers. However, he failed to turn up to international duty on time.
As a result, the Gabon Federation put out a public statement saying: “In view of the new paradigm based on discipline and out of respect for the whole group present in Bongoville, has decided to send Mr Didier Ndong back to his club.
“This approach is aimed at prioritizing the national team as an institution, placing it above any personal considerations.
“Henceforth, only Gabonese individuals who demonstrate patriotism, respect for the team, and a commitment to defending the values of the republic with dignity will be selected to represent the national team.”
Didier Ndong is a sign of how far Sunderland have come
Didier Ndong is the perfect example of the sorry state that Sunderland were in under Ellis Short.
The midfielder became Sunderland’s most expensive ever signing when he arrived on France, and he actually put on some promising displays in the top flight.
However, his commitment to the Black Cats was very questionable and he made it very clear that he wasn’t willing to work for the club when he refused to train.
The situations of Papy Djilobodji and (to an extent) Lamine Kone were similar, with all three being far from the players we want at the club these days.
It’s a breath of fresh air not having to deal with these kind of players anymore, while joining Sunderland seems to be a pleasure nowadays. The likes of Jack Clarke and Patrick Roberts had such a relieving approach to transfer interest in comparison.