Equatorial Guinea national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Equatorial Guinea

Nickname(s)	Nzalang Nacional (National Thunder)
Association	Federación Ecuatoguineana de Fútbol
Confederation	CAF (Africa)
Sub-confederation	UNIFFAC (Central Africa)
Head coach	Juan Michá
Captain	Emilio Nsue
Most caps	Federico Bikoro (62)
Top scorer	Emilio Nsue (21)
Home stadium	Estadio de Malabo
FIFA code	EQG
First colours Second colours Third colours
FIFA ranking
Current	148 (7 February 2019)
Highest	49 (February 2015)
Lowest	195 (December 1998)
Elo ranking
Current	139 17 (3 March 2019)
Highest	107 (31 January 2015)
Lowest	187 (March 2003)
First international
China 6–2 Equatorial Guinea  (China, 23 May 1975)
Biggest win
Equatorial Guinea 4–0 Central African Republic  (Bata, Equatorial Guinea; 1 December 2014)  Equatorial Guinea 4–0 South Sudan  (Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; 4 September 2016)  Equatorial Guinea 4–0 Ivory Coast  (Abidjan, Ivory Coast; 22 January 2024)
Biggest defeat
Congo 6–0 Equatorial Guinea  (Congo, 13 December 1990)
Africa Cup of Nations
Appearances	5 (first in 2012)
Best result	Fourth place (2015)
African Nations Championship
Appearances	1 (first in 2018)
Best result	Group stage (2018)
COSAFA Cup
Appearances	0
Best result	Withdrew (2015)

The Equatorial Guinea national football team is also known as Nzalang Nacional, which means "National Thunder" in Spanish. This team represents the country of Equatorial Guinea in men's international football games. The Equatoguinean Football Federation manages the team. This federation is part of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The team has never played in the FIFA World Cup. However, they have played in the Africa Cup of Nations five times. They hosted the tournament twice, in 2012 and 2015. In 2015, they achieved their best result, finishing in fourth place. They also reached the quarter-finals in 2012 and 2021.

Team History and Achievements

Early Matches and First Wins

Equatorial Guinea played its first football match on May 23, 1975. They lost 6–2 to China in a friendly game. The team did not play another international match until December 1985. This was during the UDEAC Cup tournament.

In that tournament, they were in a group with Congo and the Central African Republic. They lost 5–0 to Congo. Then, they got their first-ever draw, a 1–1 tie against the Central African Republic. Later, they lost a play-off match on penalties.

In the 1987 UDEAC Cup, Equatorial Guinea finished fourth. They only scored one goal in the whole tournament. Their first win ever came in 1999. They beat the Central African Republic 4–2.

Hosting the Africa Cup of Nations

In the late 2000s, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon decided to bid to host the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. They won the right to host the games. Two new stadiums were built in Equatorial Guinea for the tournament. These were Estadio de Bata in Bata and Estadio de Malabo in Malabo.

The opening game of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations was special. It was Equatorial Guinea's first time playing in a major international tournament. They won 1–0 against Libya on January 21, 2012. Javier Balboa, a former Real Madrid player, scored the winning goal.

They then beat Senegal 2–1 to reach the quarter-finals. They finished second in their group. In the quarter-finals, they lost 3–0 to Ivory Coast. Players like Javier Balboa and Randy were praised for their great performances.

Three years later, Equatorial Guinea hosted the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations by themselves. They stepped in to replace Morocco as the host. In their first game, they drew 1–1 with Congo. Emilio Nsue scored their goal. They also drew 0–0 with Burkina Faso.

To reach the quarter-finals, they needed to beat their rival, Gabon. They won 2–0 with goals from Javier Balboa and Ibán. In the quarter-finals, they beat Tunisia 2–1. Balboa scored both goals, one in regular time and one in extra time.

They lost 0–3 to Ghana in the semi-final. In the match for third place, they drew 0–0 with DR Congo. They lost 2–4 on penalties. Equatorial Guinea finished fourth, which is their best result ever. This helped them reach their highest FIFA ranking of 49th place.

Success in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations

Equatorial Guinea did not qualify for the 2017 and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. They also missed the 2018 FIFA World Cup. During the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification, they were in a group with Tunisia, Tanzania, and Libya. They started poorly, losing their first two games. It seemed they might not qualify again.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a break in the games. When play resumed, Equatorial Guinea made an amazing comeback. They beat Libya 3–2 in Egypt with late goals from Pedro Obiang and Salomón Obama. They then beat Libya again at home, 1–0. After beating Tanzania 1–0 at home, Equatorial Guinea made history. They qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations through regular qualification for the first time ever.

At AFCON 2021, the "National Thunder" team was in Group E. They played against Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, and Algeria. They lost their first match to Ivory Coast. But then, they surprised everyone by beating the defending champions, Algeria. In their last group match, they defeated Sierra Leone. This meant they finished second in their group and moved to the Round of 16.

In the Round of 16, Equatorial Guinea played against Mali. The game was a 0–0 draw after 120 minutes. It went to a penalty shootout. Goalkeeper Jesús Owono saved two shots, and Equatorial Guinea won 6–5. This was the third time they reached the quarter-finals of AFCON. They then lost 3–1 to Senegal, who went on to win the tournament.

Home Stadium

Estadio de Malabo

Equatorial Guinea plays its home games at Estadio de Malabo. This stadium is in the city of Malabo. It can hold up to 15,250 people. The team played here when they hosted the AFCON 2012. They also played at the Estadio de Bata, where they won both their games.

Kit and Colours

The national football team of Equatorial Guinea

The Equatorial Guinea team wears red and white uniforms. The company that makes their kits is Erreà. When they play at home, they wear a solid red jersey and matching shorts with white stripes. The team's logo and the Erreà logo are on the chest. Their socks are red with white at the top. When they play away, they wear an all-white shirt with blue stripes.

Team Rivalries

Tunisia

The rivalry with Tunisia has become very important recently. It started during the quarter-finals of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. In that match, Tunisia felt that the referee made unfair decisions. This led to them losing 2–1 to the host team, Equatorial Guinea. This caused a lot of anger among Tunisian players and fans.

Since then, Tunisia and Equatorial Guinea have played against each other many times in tournament qualifiers. Tunisia won both games in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualification, but only by one goal each time. However, Equatorial Guinea has become stronger. They have beaten Tunisia at home in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification and the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification. These two teams are set to play each other again in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.

Gabon

Equatorial Guinea's classic rival is its neighbor, Gabon. This rivalry is partly due to disagreements over certain territories. Their first official match was on December 18, 1987. Gabon won 4–3 on penalties after a 0–0 draw.

After five losses over the next 15 years, Equatorial Guinea finally got its first win against Gabon. This was on June 8, 2003, a 2–1 home victory during the 2004 Africa Cup of Nations qualification. This win is one of the most celebrated matches by local fans. They also had a big 2–0 win over Gabon at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. This win helped them move past the group stage and knocked Gabon out of the tournament.

Coaching Staff

Andoni Goikoetxea became the manager of Equatorial Guinea in 2013

Esteban Becker became the manager of Equatorial Guinea in 2015

The current coaching staff for the Equatorial Guinea national football team includes:

Position	Name
Head coach	Juan Michá Obiang Bicogo
Assistant coach	Casto Nopo
Goalkeeping coach	Benjamín Olo Mbang Esono
Doctors	Galo Ela Owono Ndong
	Fernando Oyono Mba Nsue
Physiotherapists	Carlos Obiang Esono Nzang
	Boyebote Masa Nsue Efua
	Jesús Ndong Nchama Ekeng
Delegate	Daniel Ebendeng Oyono Mbang
Physical trainers	José Víctor Nchama Asumu Nguema
Utility man	Levi Ela Ayong Nsue
Assistant utility man	José Marcos Mituy Owono Nzang
Nutritionist	Úrsula Esono Mbela Ndong
Security representative	Juan Ricardo Ela Ndong Mve

Current Players

Current Squad Members

The following players were chosen for two friendly matches in June 2025. These games were against Gambia and Cameroon.

The number of games played (caps) and goals scored are updated as of June 9, 2025, after the match against Cameroon.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Miguel Eyama	(1998-07-08) 8 July 1998 (age 27)	8	0	Deportivo Mongomo
13	1GK	Aitor Embela	(1996-04-17) 17 April 1996 (age 29)	10	0	Soneja
23	1GK	Manuel Sapunga	(1992-11-23) 23 November 1992 (age 32)	5	0	Sekhukhune United
2	2DF	Néstor Senra	(2002-01-04) 4 January 2002 (age 23)	10	0	Recreativo
3	2DF	Marvin Anieboh	(1997-08-26) 26 August 1997 (age 27)	21	0	SS Reyes
11	2DF	Basilio Ndong	(1999-01-17) 17 January 1999 (age 26)	58	0	Universitatea Craiova
15	2DF	Marcelo Asumu	(1992-01-16) 16 January 1992 (age 33)	3	0	Deportivo Unidad
18	2DF	Michael Ngaah	(2003-04-10) 10 April 2003 (age 22)	1	0	Real Ávila
21	2DF	Esteban Obiang	(1998-05-07) 7 May 1998 (age 27)	40	1	Argeș Pitești
24	2DF	Hugo Buyla	(2005-03-08) 8 March 2005 (age 20)	2	0	América U23
25	2DF	Santi Borikó	(2003-05-19) 19 May 2003 (age 22)	2	0	Castellón B
4	3MF	Federico Bikoro	(1996-03-17) 17 March 1996 (age 29)	62	6	Unattached
5	3MF	Marcelino Diosdado Ekong	(2003-07-03) 3 July 2003 (age 22)	0	0	Malabo United
8	3MF	Jannick Buyla	(1998-10-06) 6 October 1998 (age 26)	34	3	Unattached
16	3MF	Álex Masogo	(2001-01-26) 26 January 2001 (age 24)	2	1	Beroe
20	3MF	Santiago Eneme	(2000-09-29) 29 September 2000 (age 24)	34	0	Sparta Prague
22	3MF	Gael Joel Akogo	(2003-12-21) 21 December 2003 (age 21)	9	0	Recreativo Granada
6	4FW	Iban Salvador	(1995-12-11) 11 December 1995 (age 29)	51	9	Wisła Płock
7	4FW	José Nabil Ondo	(2005-11-23) 23 November 2005 (age 19)	5	0	Nantes B
9	4FW	Dorian Jr.	(2001-05-12) 12 May 2001 (age 24)	21	1	Viborg
10	4FW	Emilio Nsue (captain)	(1989-09-30) 30 September 1989 (age 35)	47	22	Intercity
12	4FW	Cristian Makaté	(2002-09-21) 21 September 2002 (age 22)	2	0	Union SG
14	4FW	Loren Zúñiga	(2003-01-18) 18 January 2003 (age 22)	1	0	Real Madrid Castilla
17	4FW	Josete Miranda	(1998-07-22) 22 July 1998 (age 27)	49	3	Kalamata
19	4FW	Luis Nlavo	(2001-07-09) 9 July 2001 (age 24)	28	5	Shanghai Shenhua
26	4FW	Pedro José Obiang	(2003-05-13) 13 May 2003 (age 22)	1	1	15 de Agosto [es]

Players Called Up Recently

The following players have been called up in the last 12 months. They can still play for the national team.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Jesús Owono	(2001-03-01) 1 March 2001 (age 24)	37	0	Andorra	v.  Namibia, 24 March 2025
GK	Marcos Ondo	(2000-08-13) 13 August 2000 (age 25)	5	0	UD Carrión	v.  Malawi, 10 June 2024
DF	Carlos Akapo (vice-captain)	(1993-03-12) 12 March 1993 (age 32)	44	2	Amazonas	v.  Namibia, 24 March 2025
DF	Saúl Coco	(1999-02-09) 9 February 1999 (age 26)	29	4	Torino	v.  Namibia, 24 March 2025
DF	Luis Enrique Nsue	(1998-01-16) 16 January 1998 (age 27)	11	0	Unattached	v.  Namibia, 24 March 2025
DF	Cosme Anvene	(1990-03-03) 3 March 1990 (age 35)	20	0	Deportivo Unidad	v.  Togo, 17 November 2024
DF	Cristian Ebea	(2001-02-02) 2 February 2001 (age 24)	6	0	Unattached	v.  Togo, 17 November 2024
DF	José Elo	(2000-10-21) 21 October 2000 (age 24)	4	1	Unattached	v.  Liberia, 14 October 2024
DF	Rafael Nguema	(2006-02-22) 22 February 2006 (age 19)	1	0	Deportivo Mongomo	v.  Togo, 9 September 2024
DF	Antonio Mekina	(2004-11-17) 17 November 2004 (age 20)	0	0	15 de Agosto [es]	v.  Togo, 9 September 2024
DF	Charles Ondo	(2003-10-22) 22 October 2003 (age 21)	4	0	Portland Timbers 2	v.  Malawi, 10 June 2024
DF	Juan Pedro Nsue	(1995-07-22) 22 July 1995 (age 30)	0	0	Deportivo Ebenezer	v.  Malawi, 10 June 2024
MF	Pablo Ganet	(1994-11-04) 4 November 1994 (age 30)	53	5	Persita Tangerang	v.  Namibia, 24 March 2025
MF	José Machín	(1996-08-14) 14 August 1996 (age 28)	33	0	Unattached	v.  Namibia, 24 March 2025
MF	Omar Mascarell	(1993-02-02) 2 February 1993 (age 32)	8	0	Mallorca	v.  Namibia, 24 March 2025
MF	Enrique Iyanga	(2008-01-10) 10 January 2008 (age 17)	0	0	Cano Sport	v.  Namibia, 24 March 2025
MF	Pedro Obiang	(1992-03-27) 27 March 1992 (age 33)	23	3	Monza	v.  Togo, 17 November 2024
MF	Jordan Gutiérrez	(1998-07-08) 8 July 1998 (age 27)	13	0	Unattached	v.  Togo, 17 November 2024
MF	Ramón Boho	(2001-08-30) 30 August 2001 (age 23)	0	0	15 de Agosto [es]	v.  Liberia, 14 October 2024
MF	Álex Balboa	(2001-03-06) 6 March 2001 (age 24)	16	0	Lugo	v.  Togo, 9 September 2024
MF	José Fidel Sipi	(2001-01-07) 7 January 2001 (age 24)	4	0	MUZA	v.  Togo, 9 September 2024
MF	Joanet	(1999-03-01) 1 March 1999 (age 26)	10	1	Atlètic Lleida	v.  Malawi, 10 June 2024
MF	Gerardo Dougan	(2001-10-05) 5 October 2001 (age 23)	0	0	Fundación Bata	v.  Malawi, 10 June 2024
FW	Celestino Eneme	(2006-12-01) 1 December 2006 (age 18)	0	0	Diablo Rojo	v.  Namibia, 24 March 2025
FW	Domingo Mba	(2000-02-24) 24 February 2000 (age 25)	2	0	Coria	v.  Togo, 17 November 2024
FW	Óscar Siafá	(1997-09-12) 12 September 1997 (age 27)	16	0	Slatina	v.  Malawi, 10 June 2024
INJ Withdrew due to injury PRE Preliminary squad RET Retired from the national team SUS Serving suspension WD Player withdrew from the squad due to non-injury issue.

Team Records

Most Games Played

Federico Bikoro is Equatorial Guinea's most capped player with 61 appearances.

These players have played the most games for Equatorial Guinea:

Top Goal Scorers

Emilio Nsue is Equatorial Guinea's top scorer with 21 goals.

These players have scored the most goals for Equatorial Guinea:

Tournament Records

FIFA World Cup Appearances

Equatorial Guinea has never qualified for the FIFA World Cup. Here is their record in the qualification rounds:

FIFA World Cup record										Qualification record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930 to 1966	Part of  Spain									Part of  Spain
1970 to 1986	Not a FIFA member									Not a FIFA member
1990 to 1998	Did not enter									Did not enter
2002	Did not qualify									2	0	0	2	2	5
2006										2	1	0	1	1	2
2010										6	1	0	5	4	10
2014										8	1	2	5	9	17
2018										2	1	0	1	1	2
2022										8	4	3	1	8	6
2026	To be determined								6	2	1	3	4	8
2030									To be determined
2034
Total	–	0/9	–	–	–	–	–	–	34	10	6	18	29	50

Africa Cup of Nations Appearances

Equatorial Guinea has participated in the Africa Cup of Nations five times. Their best finish was fourth place in 2015.

Africa Cup of Nations record
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
1957 to 1968	Part of  Spain
1970 to 1986	Not affiliated to CAF
1988	Withdrew
1990	Did not qualify
1992 to 1994	Did not enter
1996	Withdrew
1998 to 2000	Did not enter
2002 to 2010	Did not qualify
2012	Quarter-finals	7th	4	2	0	2	3	5
2013	Did not qualify
2015	Fourth place	4th	6	2	3	1	5	5
2017	Did not qualify
2019
2021	Quarter-finals	7th	5	2	1	2	3	4
2023	Round of 16	10th	4	2	1	1	9	4
2025	Qualified
2027	To be determined
2029
Total	Fourth place	5/35	19	8	5	6	20	18

African Nations Championship Appearances

Equatorial Guinea has played in the African Nations Championship once.

African Nations Championship record
Appearances: 1
Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA
2009	Did not enter
2011
2014	Did not qualify
2016
2018	Group stage	15th	3	0	0	3	1	7
2020	Did not qualify
2022
Total	Group stage	1/7	3	0	0	3	1	7

Team Honours

Regional Competitions

• CEMAC Cup
  • Winners (1): 2006
  • Runners-up (1): 2009

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Guinea Ecuatorial para niños