by Staff Reporter
Saturday May 25, 2024. 10:54
Equatorial Guinea have forfeited their opening two qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup after FIFA deemed Emilio Nsue ineligible to play for his adopted country.
The 34-year-old striker, who won the Golden Boot with his five goals at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, featured for the National Thunder as they beat Namibia and Liberia 1-0 in November, scoring both goals.
However, FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee has taken action against the Equatorial Guinean Football Association (FEGUIFUT) and Nsue for a breach of eligibility rules.
Nsue was born in Palma de Mallorca and represented Spain at various youth levels before switching allegiance to Equatorial Guinea in 2013.
World football’s governing body also ruled him ineligible to play in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers and the Central Africans had to forfeit the home and away ties against Cape Verde as well.
Nsue has been slapped with a six-month ban, while FEGUIFUT received a CHF 150,000 fine.
“After considering all elements brought before it, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee was comfortably satisfied that the player was ineligible and consequently decided to declare the matches of the FIFA World Cup 2026 preliminary competition in which the player was fielded lost by forfeit by Equatorial Guinea,” a statement from FIFA read.
Juan Micha’s side are now bottom of Group H after the Brave Warriors and the Lone Stars were both handed 3-0 wins. Micha will look to get their campaign back on track against Tunisia and Malawi next month.
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