 Gabon yakabva yaramba kutamba kweanopfuura gore, isati yapinda mumakwikwi eAfrica Cup of Nations kekutanga. Kuedza kwavo kupinda mumakwikwi e1972 akaitirwa muCameroon kwakawira padambudziko rekutanga, sezvo vakakundwa neIvory Coast muFirst Round. Vakarasikirwa nechikamu chekutanga kumba 21 musi wa 8 Mbudzi 1970, uye vakakundwa 10 kure masvondo maviri gare gare. Gabon yakabva yapinda mumakwikwi emaOlympic emutambo wenhabvu wa1972 wakaitirwa kuWest Germany. Mumutambo wokutanga vakakundwa neCameroon. Mushure mekurasikirwa nemutambo wekutanga 32 muLibreville musi wa30 Chivabvu 1971, Gabon yakarasikirwa ne tie sezvo vasina kuenda kuYaoundé kunokwikwidza mutambo wekudzoka. Kutevera kubuda uku kunonyadzisa, Gabon yakapinda mumakwikwi e1974 FIFA World Cup yakaitirwa kuWest Germany, uye yaifanira kutamba Cameroon muKutanga Round muzhizha ra1972, zvisinei ivo vakabvisa mitambo isati yatamba. Somugumisiro wokurega uku, havana kutamba mumwe mutambo kweanopfuura gore kusvikira vapinda mumutambo wenhabvu pa1972 Central African Cup a precursor to the Central African Games yakaitirwa muBrazzaville, Congo. Makwikwi e5 akaitwa neGabon; Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, neChad. Vakatamba mutambo wavo wekutanga musi wa 16 Chikunguru vachipesana neCongo, vachirasikirwa ne3 0. Mazuva maviri gare gare vakakundwa neCentral African Republic 31 uye musi wa20 Chikunguru vakakundwa neCameroon, 40. Zvisinei vakachengetedza kudada nekurova Chad 10 mumutambo wavo wekupedzisira musi wa22 Chikunguru kuti vadzivise nzvimbo yepasi. Uyezve, mutambo uyu wakapetwa kaviri seboka rekukodzera mutambo wenhabvu weAll-Africa Games muna 1973, uye sezvo Gabon isina kukunda muboka, vakatadza kukodzera. Gore rimwe gare gare vakapinda mumakwikwi e1974 African Cup of NationsmuEgypt, uye vakanga vachifanira kutamba neCentral African Republic muzhizha ra1973, zvisinei ivo zvakare vakabvisa bhora risati rambotambwa. 