Nsue, AFCON's top scorer, played illegally for country for 11 years

Emilio Nsue, the top scorer in this year's Africa Cup of Nations finals, played illegally for Equatorial Guinea for 11 years, according to FIFA documents detailing a six-month ban he received last month.

The 34-year-old striker, who has previously played for Birmingham City and Middlesborough, was named top marksman at the Ivory Coast finals in January, where Equatorial Guinea sensationally punched above their weight by defeating the host nation in the group stage and progressing to the last 16.

However, Nsue should not have played at all, according to the decision of the world football governing body's disciplinary committee hearing into his status, which was published on Monday.

The decision, issued on May 10, determined that Nsue should not have been allowed to represent the small central African nation and had previously been sanctioned, as well as having a request for a change of football nationality denied.

Despite this, Equatorial Guinea continued to pick him with impunity until FIFA intervened more than a decade after they denied his request to switch to the African country.

Nsue, born in Palma de Mallorca to a Spanish mother and an Equatorial Guinean father, represented Spain at the junior level, scoring in the 2009 U-20 World Cup.

Players who represent one country at the junior level may apply to switch international allegiance if they have not won a competitive senior cap and have dual nationality.

However, FIFA denied Nsue's request to switch because he only acquired Equatoguinean nationality after playing for Spain at the junior level.

By that point, he had already made two appearances for the former Spanish colony in 2014 World Cup qualifiers, and Equatorial Guinea was fined.

Despite the rulings, Nsue continued to play for Equatorial Guinea, participating in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup qualifiers, as well as three Cup of Nations tournaments.

FIFA's decision provided no explanation for why they suddenly reconsidered Nsue's status, but on May 24, they stripped Equatorial Guinea of the six points earned from their two 2026 World Cup qualifiers in November.

Nsue scored the winning goal in both the games against Namibia and Liberia.

He was banned from international football for six months, despite having previously announced his retirement following the Cup of Nations.

SportsLigue