2023 AFCON: 34-year-old Nsue to lead Equatorial Guinea against Eagles on Jan. 14

• As Omonia delays Uzoho’s arrival

Equatorial Guinea’s most experienced player, Emilio Nsue (34), is warming up to face the Super Eagles on January 14 in the teams’ opening game at the Cote d’Ivoire 2023 African Cup of Nations.

Nsue is a veteran of African Cup of Nations and a permanent fixture in the Equatoguinean team since they co-hosted the competition in 2015.

The right back, who also plays as a midfielder, plays for Spanish third tier team, Intercity FC, in a career that has seen him appearing for such clubs as Mallorca, Real Sociedad and Castellón, Middlesbrough and Birmingham City, as well as Cypriot club, APOEL, and Bosnia’s Tuzla City.

Apart from Nsue, Equatorial Guinea have two players of Nigerian descent in their squad, including Javier Eneme, who plays for Czech side, MFK Vyškov, and Marvin Aniebo of Spain’s secunda division side, CD Illescas.

At the Cote d’Ivoire 2024 AFCON, Equitorial Guinea would be seeking to go beyond the quarterfinals, which they achieved in Cameroon in 2021.
At that competition, the Nzalang Nationale or National Thunder, they lost to Cote d’Ivoire in their opening game and produced one of the surprise results when they defeated Algeria in their second game and also beat Sierra Leone to make the second round.

They beat Mali in the second round 6-5 via penalties to qualify for the quarterfinals for the third time in their history. They subsequently lost to eventual champions, Senegal, 3-1 in the quarterfinals.

Coach Joan Micha has invited 45 players for their final preparation for the AFCON, which includes a friendly against Cameroun on January 8, 2024, which is six days before the game against Eagles.

The match against Nigeria will hold at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan.

Meanwhile, Cypriot First Division club, Omonia Nicosia, have asked the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to permit Francis Uzoho to arrive the Super Eagles’ Africa Cup of Nations training camp late.

According to allnigeriasoccer.com, Omonia asked for a short delay in Uzoho’s arrival in the Nigerian camp and the indications are positive.

Omonia manager, Sofronios Avgousti, has a goalkeeping crisis on his hands after first choice goalkeeper Fabiano suffered an injury that would see him sidelined until January and Cyprus international Charalampos Kyriakidis is also in the treatment room.

Cyprus star Constantinos Panagi has been loaned out to Ethnikos Achna for the entirety of the season, leaving Uzoho as the only senior goalkeeper at the disposal of Avgousti.

Assuming everything goes according to Omonia’s plan, Uzoho will be in goal against AEL on January 2 before reporting for international duty with the Super Eagles.
The Confederation of African Football have stated that the release period for players named on the Africa Cup of Nations rosters is January 1, 2024.