Latest news with #Nsue
BBC News
21-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Osimhen inspires Nigeria to first World Cup qualifying win
Victor Osimhen inspired Nigeria to their first win in qualifying for the 2026 Fifa World Cup while Algeria and South Africa moved to the top of their Galatasaray forward netted both goals in Nigeria's 2-0 victory away against Rwanda in Group C, and the Super Eagles are now four points behind South Africa halfway through the Bafana moved to the summit after overcoming a stubborn Lesotho side 2-0 thanks to second-half strikes from Relebohile Mofokeng and Jayden DR Congo moved level on points with surprise Group B leaders Sudan as Theo Bongonda's powerful effort secured a 1-0 win over South Sudan after a disjointed display in the nine group winners are assured of a place at the expanded 48-team World Cup finals next Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea registered comfortable wins, with Emilio Nsue scoring for the latter on his return to action following a row over his are five more qualifiers on Friday, with Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Morocco all in action. Returning Osimhen gets Nigeria back on track Nigeria's bid for a place at the finals in the United States, Mexico and Canada was in the balance after taking just three points from their first four had been absent through injury from all those games, played across November 2023 and June last year, and had spoken ahead of the crucial trip to Kigali of how "desperate" he and his team-mates are to reach the pressure was also on new boss Eric Chelle, who is the first non-Nigerian African to take charge of the Super Osimhen settled any nerves in the 11th minute when he was left unmarked at the back post to guide in Ademola Lookman's free-kick from the left the striker capitalised on hesitant defending before racing clear and dinking past the onrushing keeper to double the lead in first-half injury moved up to fourth in Group C, behind South Africa, Benin and Rwanda, and will host bottom side Zimbabwe in their next match on Tuesday. Nsue finds net after ban One other talisman who netted on his return to action was Nsue, the top scorer at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations who was then remarkably ruled ineligible to play for Equatorial Guinea by to sit out the qualifying campaign for the 2025 Afcon, the 35-year-old was available again following a second request by his national federation to the world governing needed just 14 minutes to net against Sao Tome e Principe and extend his all-time national record to 23 goals for the National striker was then involved in the build-up for the second goal three minutes later which ended with Iban Salvador guiding his shot home after brilliant interplay with Jose Machin inside the Guinea are fifth in Group H, seven points behind leaders Tunisia, having been handed two 3-0 defeats after Nsue appeared and scored in their first two qualifiers. Amoura at the double for Algeria Algeria moved back to the top of Group G, on goal difference ahead of Mozambique, following a 3-1 win against Botswana in a sweltering Gouiri broke the deadlock just before half time with a header which home keeper Goitseone Phoko fumbled over the line, and two smart finishes after the break from Mohamed Amoura gave the North Africans their fourth win in five Faso went second in Group A as former Aston Villa forward Bertrand Traore netted twice in their 4-1 win over Tiendrebeogo and Lassina Traore also found the net for the Stallions, who hosted the game in the Moroccan city of El can open up a five-point gap to the West Africans if the Pharaohs beat Ethiopia on Friday night (21:00 GMT). Friday's African World Cup qualifying results and fixtures Burkina Faso 4-1 Djibouti (Group A)Ethiopia v Egypt (Group A, 21:00 GMT)DR Congo 1-0 South Sudan (Group B)South Africa 2-0 Lesotho (Group C)Rwanda 0-2 Nigeria (Group C)Niger v Morocco (Group E, 21:30 GMT)Burundi v Ivory Coast (Group F, 19:00 GMT)Botswana 1-3 Algeria (Group G)Guinea v Somalia (Group G, 21:00 GMT)Equatorial Guinea 2-0 Sao Tome e Principe (Group H)Ghana v Chad (Group I, 19:00 GMT)
CAF
18-03-2025
- Sport
- CAF
Nsue back for Equatorial Guinea in FIFA World Cup qualifiers
Equatorial Guinea's captain Emilio Nsue returns after suspension and has been included in his country's squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Sao Tome e Principe and Namibia over the next week. The top scorer at the last Total Energies CAF Africa Cup of Nations finals was suspended by FIFA for six months last May after it was found he had not correctly completed the change of nationality process when he first declared for Equatorial Guinea, having previously played for Spain at junior level. FIFA has since validated Nsue's change of footballing nationality, and the veteran striker has been included by coach Juan Micha in the 25-man squad for the two qualifiers. Nzalang Nacional host Sao Tome e Principe in Malabo on Friday and then travel to South Africa where they will face Namibia in Polokwane on March 24. Equatorial Guinea sit on three points in Group H after wins over Namibia and Liberia at the starts of the qualifiers were expunged and 0-3 defeats recorded because of Nsue's case. Squad: Goalkeepers: Miguel Oscar (Deportivo Mongomo), Jesus Owono (Deportivo Alaves, Spain), Manuel Sapunga (Polokwane City, South Africa) Defenders: Carlos Akapo (Amazonas, Brazil), Marvin Anieboh (UD San Sebastián de los Reyes, Spain), Marcelo Asumu Nguema (DVO Unidad), Santi Boriko (Castellon B, Spain), Saul Coco (Torino, Italy), Basilio Ndong (Universitatea Craiova, Romania), Luis Enrique Nsue (COD Meknes, Morocco), Esteban Orozco (Arges, Romania) Midfielders: Gael Akogo (Recreativo Granada, Spain), Federico Bikoro (Raja Casablanca, Morocco), Enrique Biribe (Cano Sport Academy), Jannick Buyla (Tarazona, Spain), Santiago Eneme (MFK Vyskov, Czech Republic), Pablo Ganet (Merida, Spain), Jose Machin (Cartagena, Spain), Oscar Mascarelli (Mallorca, Spain) Forwards: Luis Asue (Moreirense, Portugal), Dorian Junior (Marbella, Spain), Cristian Makate (Union Saint-Gilloise, Belgium), Josete Miranda (Iraklis 1908, Greece), Emilio Nsue (Inter City, Spain), Iban Salvador (Wisla Plock, Poland)
BBC News
07-03-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Ineligible' Equatorial Guinea skipper cleared to play by Fifa
Equatorial Guinea's record goalscorer Emilio Nsue has been officially cleared to play for the country by Fifa – more than a decade after the former Spain youth international made his senior debut for the African was widespread surprise in May last year when football's world governing body handed Nsue, now 35, a six-month ban, deeming him ineligible to play in 2026 World Cup the time, Fifa said it was "comfortably satisfied" that Nsue, who won the golden boot at last year's Africa Cup of Nations, had never received clearance to formalise his switch from that changed on Wednesday when Fifa approved a second request by Equatorial Guinea's football federation (Feguifut) - twelve years after its first attempt."Fifa's decision has been very positive for us and for all the people of Equatorial Guinea," Feguifut president Venancio Tomas Ndong Micha told BBC Sport Africa."After so many years, and months, we were able to show that Emilio was eligible and finally Fifa showed justice in this case."Fifa's shock ruling last year came 43 games after Nsue's 2013 debut for Equatorial Guinea, a side he has often captained and for whom he has scored a record 22 he struck twice in World Cup qualifying wins against Namibia and Liberia in late 2023, Fifa ruled that both games would be forfeited was also fined 150,000 Swiss francs ($164,000, £129,000) for fielding the player, who had previously taken part in both the 2018 and 2022 World Cup qualifying campaigns without second - and ultimately successful - bid to change Nsue's allegiance was launched shortly after his six-month ban ended, while a Feguifut appeal last year resulted in the fine being reduced to 50,000 Swiss francs, with the remaining 100,000 suspended for two years. What led to Fifa's decision? Fifa's ruling in May 2024 stunned both Nsue and Feguifut president Ndong Micha, given neither thought his eligibility was an transpired, however, that a previous Feguifut regime had failed to file the correct paperwork and follow procedure in played nearly 50 times for Spain's youth teams, it was in February of that year that the Equatoguinean federation first wrote to Fifa requesting the change of allegiance before – despite receiving no approval – then fielding the forward in two games over four response, Fifa sanctioned Equatorial Guinea, awarding technical 3-0 wins to their opponents, stating that Nsue was ineligible as he did not have Equatoguinean nationality when first representing Spain in 2005 (a requirement at the time).Four months later, however, Nsue was back on the field for Equatorial Guinea – for a friendly against Spain, ironically – and he continued to play, including at three Nations Cups, until Fifa took its belated to the BBC in July 2024, Ndong Micha claimed that Fifa had not taken into account his country's constitution, which states that anyone born to a mother or father from the country is automatically an Equatoguinean upon birth.A statement to this extent by Equatorial Guinea's minister for justice, culture and human rights was crucial in enabling Fifa's recent fact that Nsue could show an old Equatoguinean passport from 2004, a document which preceded his first Spain youth appearance, also helped win the case."Thanks to our lawyer Paolo (Torchetti), who has been key, we have been able to show all necessary documentation relating to Emilio's eligibility," added Ndong Micha, calling Fifa's decision 'vital'. 2026 World Cup hopes The Central African nation now hopes its lost points can be returned as the nation of two million looks to qualify for its maiden World deduction took Equatorial Guinea, once second in Group H with nine points from four games, to second bottom in a group topped by is now set to feature in this month's World Cup qualifiers at home to Sao Tome and Principe and away against Namibia."Now that Emilio has been deemed eligible to play for Equatorial Guinea, I think the World Cup points should be coming back to us in the future," said Ndong Micha."We want the six points as this will give us renewed hope as we fight to qualify."Liberia and Malawi are the other nations in the six-team the winners will qualify automatically for the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the USA, while the four best-placed runners-up will have a second chance via the play-offs.
