Emilio Nsue: Equatorial Guinea Striker Slapped With Six Month Ban From FIFA for Ineligibility

• FIFA has banned Equatorial Guinea striker Emilio Nsue for six months due to his ineligibility
• The 2023 AFCON top scorer was deemed not valid to play in the first two World Cup qualifiers
• Nsue's two winning goals in those matches against Namibia and Liberia have been forfeited

FIFA has imposed a six-month suspension on Equatorial Guinea striker Emilio Nsue following a ruling that he was ineligible to participate in his country's opening two qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.

The 34-year-old forward, who netted decisive goals against Namibia and Liberia last November, has been deemed ineligible by FIFA's disciplinary committee.

The committee concluded with "comfortable satisfaction" that Nsue was unqualified to play in "several" international fixtures, resulting in both World Cup qualifiers being forfeited 3-0 in favour of Equatorial Guinea's opponents.

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Additionally, the Equatoguinean Football Federation (Feguifut) has been fined 150,000 Swiss francs ($164,000, £129,000), and Nsue has been banned from representing any national team for six months.

FIFA did not disclose further specifics regarding the ruling on the Intercity FC player, who had claimed the Golden Boot at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) earlier this year. A Feguifut representative informed BBC Sport Africa that the federation is currently investigating the situation and has yet to receive an official notification from FIFA.

According to a FIFA statement, all parties involved have 10 days to request a "motivated decision," and the imposed sanctions can be appealed.

Nsue previously faced eligibility issues in 2013, when FIFA ruled him ineligible after his initial two appearances for the country in World Cup qualifiers. Per WhoScored, Nsue has had a diverse club career with stints at Mallorca, Middlesbrough, and Birmingham City, as well as playing in Cyprus and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

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The six-point deduction is a significant setback for Equatorial Guinea's aspirations of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup finals in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. They will face Tunisia and Malawi in the next round of qualifiers next month.

Nsue retires from Equatorial Guinea national team

Sports Brief reported that Nsue decided to hang up his boots on the international stage.

He announced his retirement from the Equatorial Guinea national team shortly after a stellar performance at the 2023 AFCON.

Finishing as the top scorer of the 34th edition of the AFCON, Nsue netted an impressive five goals throughout the tournament.