A sensation in 2015, Equatorial Guinea will be making their second consecutive appearance at an Africa Cup of Nations finals. After reaching the quarter-finals at the 2021 edition, the team will be aiming to do as well, if not better. This is anything but a formality in a group where they will have to contend with hosts Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria and Guinea Bissau. Find out all you need to know about this selection.
The country
Capital: Malabo
Surface area: 28,051 km2
Population: 1,732,613
Official languages: Spanish, French (since 1997), Portuguese (since 2011)
Inhabitants : Equato-Guineans
Motto: Unity, peace, justice
Team nickname: Nzalang Nacional
Equatorial Guinea and the AFCON
Title: 0
Final: 0
Appearances prior to AFCON 2023: 3
Host country: 2 (in 2012 with Gabon, and in 2015 replacing Morocco)
AFCON history
2012: Quarter-finalist
2015: 4th place
2021: Quarter-finalist
AFCON record
15 matches
6 wins
4 draws
5 defeats
11 goals scored
14 goals conceded
Le Cameroun joue un match amical avec la Guinée Equatoriale le 8 janvier 2024#CAN2023 #GuinéeEquatoriale #Yaoundéhttps://t.co/7lxCelkChG
— Actu Cameroun (@actucameroun) November 22, 2023
The star: Emilio Nsue
Emilio Nsue will be Equatorial Guinea's number one attacking asset. Emilio Nsue was born in Spain and played for La Roja's youth teams, going on to play for the Espoirs and win the Euro in 2011. It wasn't until 2013, however, that he received the green light from FIFA to change his sporting nationality and join the Equatorial Guinea national team.
Since then, he has been involved in every campaign with Nzalang Nacional.Spearheading the attack, he scored his first Africa Cup of Nations goal during the 2015 edition at home, during the opening match against Congo (1-1). Since then, he has become the national team's all-time top scorer with 17 goals, and now wears the captain's armband. At club level, his career never really took off. After a spell in Spain, he moved to the Championship in England, before moving on to the Cypriot and Bosnian leagues. Now, at the age of 34, he is back in Spain with CF Intercity, his hometown club, to prepare for what could be his last AFCON.
The coach: Juan Micha Obiang Bicogo
Juan Micha is about to embark on his 2nd AFCON on the Equatorial Guinea bench.Equatorial Guinea's national teams hold no secrets for him. From the U17s to the U20s, passing through the women's team as assistant, then coach of the women's U20s before taking over as interim coach of the senior team, it was in 2021 that he was officially confirmed as coach of Nzalang Nacional.
In the process, the short-lived former international led the team to its 3rd African Cup of Nations finals. He reached the quarter-finals in Cameroon, beating Algeria in the group stage and Mali in the Round of 8. The local authorities continued to place their trust in him, and he succeeded in qualifying Equatorial Guinea once again for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where the team will have to confirm its good showing in 2021, when it lost out to eventual winners Senegal.
Equatorial Guinea's schedule in Group A
January 14: Nigeria - Equatorial Guinea
January 18: Equatorial Guinea - Guinea Bissau
January 22: Equatorial Guinea - Côte d'Ivoire
