Equatorial Guinea captain Emilio Nsue, who was the top scorer at AFCON 2023, has been handed a six-month ban by FIFA with his country also sanctioned for playing while ineligible.
Equatorial Guinea captain Emilio Nsue has been slapped with a six-month ban while the country has been sanctioned for fielding the player, who was deemed ineligible, in a number of matches.
Nsue has been sanctioned in regards to the participation in several matches of the national team of Equatorial Guinea, including two matches in the ongoing 2026 World Cup qualifiers despite being ineligible.
FIFA Disciplinary Committee was satisfied that Nuse was ineligible and consequently decided to declare the World Cup qualifiers in which he was fielded (namely Equatorial Guinea vs Namibia and Liberia vs Equatorial Guinea played on 15 November 2023 and 20 November 2023, respectively) lost by forfeit by Equatorial Guinea (by a score of 3-0).
19:36 - 22.02.2024
AFCON top scorer Emilio Nsue retires from national team after fallout
In a dramatic turn of events, Equatorial Guinea's captain Emilio Nsue has decided to hang up his boots on the international stage.
In addition, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee imposed a fine amounting to CHF 150,000 upon FEGUIFUT (the Equatoguinean Football Federation).
“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s findings were notified today [Friday] to the parties concerned. In accordance with the relevant provisions of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the parties have ten days in which to request a motivated decision, which, if requested, would subsequently be published on legal.fifa.com. The present decisions remain subject to an appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee,” FIFA said via a statement on its website.
It is not the first time Equatorial Guinea are being sanctioned in relation to Nsue. In 2013, the country was sanctioned for using Nsue -the same ineligible player- in two 2014 World Cup qualifiers against Cape Verde.
18:12 - 16.02.2024
AFCON top scorer Emilio Nsue blasts his country’s football federation over corruption after suspension
In a dramatic turn of events that has shaken the foundations of Equatorial Guinea's football establishment, Emilio Nsue, the national team captain, has taken a bold stand against the corruption and mismanagement within the country's football federation.
Nsue was a key player for Equatorial Guinea as they reached the Round of 16 of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and emerged as the top scorer at the tournament with five goals.
He, however, fell out with the FEGUIFUT after the tournament and later accused the football association of corruption.
Nsue launched a scathing attack on the country's football authorities, exposing a series of distressing incidents that he claimed led to his and midfielder Ivan Edu Salvador's suspension from the national squad.
19:25 - 17.02.2024
7 Most-Heinous Allegations Emilio Nsue Levelled Against Equatorial Guinea Football Federation FEGUIFUT
Emilio Nsue did not hold back after being suspended by FEGUIFUT and opened a can of worms about the federation's dealings.
The accusations come in the wake of the duo's suspension by the Equatoguinean Football Federation (FEGUIFUT) for alleged gross indiscipline during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d'Ivoire.
He alleged that over €1 million from the tournament's earnings was unaccounted for, painting a grim picture of neglect and exploitation.