Football: FIFA suspends Emilio Nsue for illegally representing Equatorial Guinea
A troubling case shook the football world last Monday as FIFA revealed a scandal involving Emilio Nsue, the top scorer of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations with five goals. According to documents from FIFA’s disciplinary committee, Nsue had represented Equatorial Guinea illegally for eleven years, in blatant violation of international regulations.
Currently playing for Intercity in Spain’s third division, Nsue had his request to change nationality rejected by FIFA due to his past involvement with Spain’s youth teams. Despite holding dual Spanish and Equatoguinean nationality, FIFA specified that he could not represent Equatorial Guinea because of his prior commitments with Spain at the youth level.
However, despite this clear prohibition, Nsue continued to play for Equatorial Guinea, participating in the qualifications for the 2014, 2018, and 2022 World Cups, as well as three editions of the Africa Cup of Nations. This situation persisted until FIFA recently intervened, deducting six points from Equatorial Guinea in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers due to Nsue’s participation in these matches.
The consequences for Nsue are severe. FIFA imposed a six-month suspension from all international competitions, although he had already retired from international football after the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations.
The disciplinary committee also revealed that Nsue had played for Equatorial Guinea during the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, despite a fine previously imposed on the Equatoguinean Football Federation for not complying with FIFA’s initial decisions.
