Equatorial Guinea have sacked head coach Juan Micha and expelled several senior players, including long-serving captain Emilio Nsue, following a dramatic player strike that prevented the team from travelling to Malawi for a World Cup qualifier last week.
According to the Equatorial Guinea Football Federation, players boycotted the trip over ongoing disputes regarding pay and poor conditions. In response, authorities dismissed Micha and removed the dissenting players from the national setup ahead of their final Group H match against Liberia on Monday.
A government statement confirmed that only players willing to “continue defending the country” would be considered for future selection, warning that anyone failing to register would be permanently excluded.
Casto Nopo has been appointed interim coach and will lead a reshaped squad missing several key figures who starred at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, where Equatorial Guinea famously stunned hosts Ivory Coast 4–0 and held Nigeria 1–1 in the group stage.
The fallout has left the nation facing potential FIFA sanctions for failing to fulfil a fixture, despite having already qualified for the upcoming AFCON finals in Morocco this December.