AFCON 2027 (Q): Equatorial Guinea leave Jesús Owono out

Deeply affected by the death of Tenerife forward Jesús de Miguel, the goalkeeper will miss the AFCON 2027 qualifiers

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AFCON 2027 (Q): Equatorial Guinea leave Jesús Owono out

12.11.26 11:00 AFCON - Africa Cup of Nations

Equatorial Guinea

Zimbabwe

Equatorial Guinea will have to do without their regular goalkeeper for their two matches against Zimbabwe. Jesús Owono has asked to be excused from the squad following the death of Jesús de Miguel, a Tenerife forward with whom he collided during a Spanish second-division match.

A collision with tragic consequences

The tragedy occurred on November 2, during the match between FC Andorra and CD Tenerife. Having come out of his area to intervene, Jesús Owono collided heavily with Jesús de Miguel. The 30-year-old Spanish forward suffered cardiac arrest and was taken to hospital. Despite receiving intensive care, he died the following morning.

🇪🇸 Tenerife striker Jesús de Miguel Alameda has died after a collision with FC Andorra's goalkeeper Jesús Owono. He was rushed to hospital by medical staff, where he suffered a cardiac arrest before passing away this morning. https://t.co/n3xbNF9bvC
— Europa.com (@europa) November 3, 2026

The match, which was tied 2-2, could not be completed. The Equatoguinean goalkeeper was also sent off following the incident. Deeply affected, Owono spoke in a statement published by FC Andorra. “These are the most difficult days of my life. I’m struggling to find the words and finding it very hard to understand what happened,” the goalkeeper said, adding that his thoughts were entirely with the player who had died and his loved ones.

Owono will miss both matches against Zimbabwe

Jesús Owono, 25, has been the national team’s first-choice goalkeeper for several years. He has notably featured in the last three editions of the Africa Cup of Nations. However, he will not take part in the next two matches in the AFCON 2027 qualifiers against Zimbabwe: on November 12 in Bata, then on November 16 in Harare.

💔🇬🇶 A difficult period for Equatorial Guinea goalkeeper Jesus Owono. The 25-year-old has been left out of his country’s upcoming AFCON qualifying squad following the tragic death of Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel. The two players were involved in a collision during a Spanish second-division match. De Miguel later died in hospital. Owono has expressed his deep grief, while the Equatorial Guinea Football Federation has offered him its support. Football is bigger than the game. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this tragedy.
— SPORTSworldGhana.com (@sportworldghana) November 8, 2026

In these circumstances, football takes a back seat. The goalkeeper needs time to come to terms with this ordeal, while the football world continues to pay tribute to Jesús de Miguel.

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