AFCON 2023 Golden Boot Winner Banned From Football After FIFA Investigation, Country Gets Fined
- FIFA has ruled that Equatorial Guinea captain Emilio Nsue was never eligible to represent the nation during his 11-year international career
- As a result, Equatorial Guinea has been stripped of their recent World Cup 2026 qualification victories against Namibia and Liberia
- Nsue has been banned from international football for six months, and the Equatoguinean Football Federation fined 150,000 Swiss francs for fielding an ineligible player
FIFA has determined that Equatorial Guinea captain Emilio Nsue was never eligible to represent the African nation throughout his 11-year international career.
This decision follows an investigation which revealed that Nsue, who had previously played for Spain’s youth teams, was ineligible under FIFA regulations.
Source: UGC
Nsue, 34, gained significant recognition earlier this year, winning the Golden Boot as the top goalscorer at the Africa Cup of Nations, netting five goals in four appearances.
Despite this achievement, FIFA's recent ruling has cast a shadow over his international career.
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The controversy dates back to December 2013, when FIFA first ruled Nsue ineligible to play for Equatorial Guinea.
Despite this, he continued to represent the country in international matches. A renewed investigation into Nsue's eligibility was launched in March, during which he was given a six-day deadline to respond to the allegations. FIFA reported no response from Nsue within this timeframe, GOAL reported.
FIFA published its findings in a comprehensive 15-page ruling on Monday. As a result, Equatorial Guinea has been stripped of its World Cup 2026 qualification victories against Namibia and Liberia, both of which it won 1-0 with goals scored by Nsue. These matches have now been awarded to its opponents, each with a 3-0 victory.
In addition to Nsue's ineligibility, FIFA has imposed a six-month ban on him from all international football activities. Furthermore, the Equatoguinean Football Federation (Feguifut) has been fined 150,000 Swiss francs ($164,000, £129,000) for their role in fielding an ineligible player, The Atletic FC reported on Facebook.
Emilio Nsue, Quits International Football
YEN.com.gh reported that AFCON 2023 highest goalscorer, Emilio López Nsue, has officially quit international football.
Nsue's decision follows a series of corruption allegations he made against his country, Equatorial Guinea's FA.
YEN.com.gh reports that the vice-president of Equatorial Guinea, Teddy Nguema, made the announcement on behalf of the AFCON 2023 star on Tuesday night, February 20
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Source: Legit.ng
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