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The Fédération internationale de football association (FIFA) has ruled that Equatorial Guinea captain Emilio shouldn’t have represented Equatorial Guinea because he was not eligible to do so in his 11-year international career
Recall that Nsue won the Golden Boot as top goalscorer at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) earlier this year with five goals in four appearances.
In December 2013, FIFA ruled that Nsue was not eligible to play for Equatorial Guinea — following several appearances for Spain’s youth teams — but he continued to represent them regardless.
FIFA opened a new investigation into Nsue’s eligibility in March with the 34-year-old given a six-day deadline to respond, but world football’s governing body said no response arrived.
The World football body published its judgement in a 15-page ruling on Monday, with Equatorial Guinea stripped of their World Cup 2026 qualification victories against Namibia and Liberia — which they both won 1-0 thanks to Nsue goals — with their opponents awarded a three-goal victory.
FIFA has ruled that former Nsue has been banned from all international football for six months, while the Equatoguinean federation (Feguifut) was fined 150,000 Swiss francs ($164,000, £129,000).
The FIFA disciplinary verdict is a repeat judgement of its ruling in 2013 when Nsue was deemed to be ineligible when Equatorial Guinea defaulted two World Cup 2014 qualification matches as 3-0 defeats due to his participation — the forward’s first two caps for the nation.
Nsue played 26 competitive matches for Spain from Under-16 level through to Under-21 and featured in the Under-21 European Championship in 2011.