Equatorial Guinea didn’t pitch for the World Cup match, hence the coach and players were fired

Equatorial Guinea may now face fines from FIFA, the world football organization, after firing coach Juan Micha and benching a number of important players due to a strike that prevented the squad from traveling to Malawi for a World Cup qualifying match.

Officials announced on Sunday that a number of regulars, including seasoned captain Emilio Nsue, will not be playing in their last Group H qualifier against Liberia on Monday.

The coach and a few players were removed from the team after key players refused to travel for their penultimate group qualifier last Thursday, claiming ongoing grievances about pay and conditions.

The Equatorial Guinea Football Federation acknowledged Micha’s termination in a social media post.

“The Ministry of Sports has given players called up for these FIFA matches who believe they can continue to defend their country the opportunity to put their names on a list,” the statement continued.

“Otherwise, anyone who doesn’t do so will be deemed to have opted out and will no longer be part of the national team.”

Since then, a new team has been announced for the game on Monday, and Casto Nopo has been named as the interim coach.

Many of the players that were part of the squad at the most recent Cup of Nations, where Equatorial Guinea made headlines by defeating hosts Ivory Coast 4-0 in the group stage, are not on the list.

The result, which came after an unexpected 1-1 draw with Nigeria in their opening match of the tournament in early 2024, was heralded as the biggest shock in Cup of Nations history.

Equatorial Guinea was eliminated in the round of 16 due to a last-minute goal for Guinea, despite finishing ahead of the two heavyweights in the group rankings.

Equatorial Guinea is no longer in the running for a spot at the World Cup next year, but they have advanced to the Cup of Nations finals in Morocco, which begin on December 21.