Equatorial Guinea’s pursuit of a historic World Cup berth has been dealt a crushing blow after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed their bid to overturn FIFA’s decision to strip them of crucial qualifying points.
The Central African nation had initially celebrated narrow 1-0 victories over Namibia and Liberia in November 2023, with forward Emilio Nsue scoring the decisive goals in both matches. However, FIFA later ruled that Nsue was ineligible to feature, leading to both wins being overturned and awarded to their opponents. The six-point deduction drastically altered the complexion of Group H, sending Equatorial Guinea tumbling down the standings.
CAS revealed that the appeal was inadmissible on procedural grounds, as the Equatoguinean Football Federation failed to include the Namibian and Liberian football associations as respondents. The panel noted that both associations had a direct legal interest in the case since the ruling directly impacted their results and standings.
The decision means Namibia remain in second place with 15 points, strengthening their chances of advancing to the continental play-offs. Liberia trail by four points, while Malawi and Equatorial Guinea sit level on 10 points, far behind the pace required for serious qualification contention.
FIFA defended its sanctions, insisting that its punishment had been “extremely lenient.” According to the governing body, the forfeits could have been accompanied by harsher measures such as exclusion from the ongoing World Cup qualifiers. The organization also reiterated that eligibility rules are not retroactive, even though Nsue had held an Equatorial Guinean passport long before playing for Spain at youth level.
The striker, who went on to become the top scorer at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, was only formally cleared to represent Equatorial Guinea in March 2024 when the federation successfully provided constitutional proof of his citizenship. Despite over a decade of appearances in national colors, FIFA concluded that these matches were not compliant with eligibility regulations.
For Equatorial Guinea, the ruling represents a missed opportunity to push for a maiden World Cup appearance. The six-point deficit proved too significant, leaving them scrambling for a distant chance at a play-off berth. Namibia, meanwhile, have emerged as the biggest beneficiaries, with momentum now firmly on their side as qualification reaches its decisive stages.
