Owono to Miss Equatorial Guinea AFCON Qualifiers After De Miguel's Death

Equatorial Guinea goalkeeper Jesus Owono will miss the country's upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Zimbabwe following the death of Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel.

De Miguel, 30, died after sustaining a serious injury in a collision with Owono during a Spanish second-division encounter on Monday.

The incident has deeply affected the 25-year-old goalkeeper, who described the period as “the most difficult days of my life” in a statement released by his club, FC Andorra, on Wednesday.

Owono admitted that he was finding it difficult to come to terms with the tragedy, describing the situation as “very hard”.

The Equatorial Guinea Football Federation (FEGUIFUT) confirmed that Owono had requested to withdraw from the national team squad selected by head coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese for the upcoming qualifiers.

Federation president Venancio Tomas Micha had earlier expressed the organisation's support for the goalkeeper, assuring him of “all our human and professional backing” during the difficult period.

Owono has been Equatorial Guinea's first-choice goalkeeper since November 2020 and has represented the country at the last three editions of the Africa Cup of Nations.

His absence comes ahead of a crucial double-header against Zimbabwe in Group E of the qualifying campaign. The National Thunder will host Zimbabwe in Bata on Thursday, November 12, before travelling to Harare for the return fixture four days later.

Both sides are currently level on three points after two rounds of matches, while the Democratic Republic of Congo lead the group with six points. Sierra Leone occupy the bottom position without a point.

Owono's withdrawal means Equatorial Guinea will have to make alternative arrangements in goal as they prepare for the important fixtures.