Equatorial Guinea goalkeeper Jesus Owono will not feature in this month’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers after 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 match on Monday.
In a statement released by his club, FC Andorra, on Wednesday, Owono said he was going through “the most difficult days of my life” and found it “very hard to come to terms with what has happened.”
The Equatorial Guinea Football Federation (Feguifut) confirmed that the 25-year-old asked to be excluded from coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese’s squad. Federation president Venancio Tomas Micha said Feguifut was giving the player its full human and professional support.
Owono has been Equatorial Guinea’s first-choice goalkeeper since November 2020 and has played at the last three Afcon tournaments.
The National Thunder meet Zimbabwe in a Group E double-header, hosting the first match in Bata on Thursday, 12 November before travelling to Harare four days later.
Both sides have three points after two matches. DR Congo lead the group with six points, while Sierra Leone are bottom without a point.
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