FIFA investigates shocking scandal in African World Cup qualifiers

Equatorial Guinea unexpectedly withdrew from the 2026 World Cup qualifiers in Africa.

In less than eight months, the 2026 World Cup finals will kick off in the United States, Mexico and Canada. While many teams are rushing to complete their journey to qualify, Equatorial Guinea is at risk of being eliminated due to troubles off the field.

According to the rules of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the 9 group winners will directly qualify for North America, while the 4 best runners-up will enter the play-off round. Equatorial Guinea still has hope of making the play-off round, but the situation could change completely after FIFA confirmed that it is investigating the incident of this team not coming to Malawi to play as scheduled.

The match between Malawi and Equatorial Guinea, scheduled to take place at Bingu National Stadium (Lilongwe) on October 9, was cancelled just before kick-off. The Malawi Football Association announced the reason was "unforeseen travel issues" on the opponent's side. However, later information showed that the incident was not that simple.

Equatorial Guinea still has a chance to compete for a play-off ticket to the 2026 World Cup.

According to a post on the federation's official account, the Equatorial Guinea players voted not to travel due to health concerns. They were required to fly overnight and only landed a few hours before the match was scheduled to start.

The decision to cancel the trip led to coach Juan Micha being suspended, while the country's Football Federation accused him and his players of "disrespecting the people of Equatorial Guinea".

This is not the first time the team has been involved in a scandal in qualifying. They were previously punished with a 3-0 loss in two matches last November after FIFA determined captain Emilio Nsue was ineligible to play. Although Nsue was later allowed to return, the incident left a big mark on Equatorial Guinea's journey.

FIFA's disciplinary committee is now investigating the real reason why the team did not travel to Malawi. If the conclusion shows that the rules were violated, Equatorial Guinea could be disqualified, have points deducted or even be eliminated from the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. This is a bitter end for the team that was once considered the "dark horse" of African football.

Source: https://znews.vn/fifa-dieu-tra-vu-be-boi-gay-chan-dong-o-vong-loai-world-cup-chau-phi-post1592733.html