FIFA has determined that Emilio Nsue, captain of Equatorial Guinea’s national football team, was never eligible to represent the African nation throughout his 11-year international career.
This ruling follows an investigation initiated in March, leading to significant repercussions for both Nsue and the Equatoguinean federation.
As a result of the findings, FIFA has retroactively stripped Equatorial Guinea of their 2026 World Cup qualification victories against Namibia and Liberia. The Equatoguinean Football Federation has also been fined $164,000 for the infraction.
In addition to the federation’s penalties, Nsue has been personally banned from all international football for six months.
This suspension marks a stark fall from grace for the player, who recently won the Golden Boot as the top goalscorer at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with five goals in four appearances earlier this year.
FIFA’s investigation revealed that Nsue did not meet the eligibility criteria required to play for Equatorial Guinea, resulting in a breach of the organization’s regulations governing player nationality.
The probe was launched after discrepancies in Nsue’s documentation were reported by an opposing federation.
