Emilio Nsue, the top scorer at the Africa Cup of Nations five months ago, has been ruled ineligible to play for Equatorial Guinea throughout his 11-year international career, according to FIFA judges.
Recently, FIFA stripped Equatorial Guinea of two victories in qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup, citing Nsue’s participation. Despite his scoring in wins over Namibia and Liberia, FIFA banned him from the national team for six months.
This is not the first time Nsue has faced disciplinary action. In 2013, FIFA ordered Equatorial Guinea to forfeit two World Cup qualifying matches due to Nsue’s ineligibility, as he had previously played for Spain’s age-matched teams.
Despite multiple disciplinary cases, Nsue continued to represent Equatorial Guinea in various competitions, including the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations and CAN 2022. The recent investigation by FIFA was prompted by his participation in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Nsue, who currently plays for Spanish lower-tier team Intercity, and his national federation have the option to appeal the sanctions imposed by FIFA. However, the ongoing competition status of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers means that FIFA only took action against Nsue’s involvement in these specific matches.