FIFA Impose Two 3-0 Forfeits in World Cup Qualifying

FIFA have officially imposed two 3-0 forfeits in World Cup qualifying after a failed appeal.

Qualifying for the 2026 tournament, which takes place in the United States, Canada and Mexico, is at different stages across the six continents.

Various controversies have taken place, particularly in the African and Asian sections.

In Asia, Pakistan were briefly suspended by FIFA for governmental interference, while Congo were banned for a similar reason in African qualifying.

The latter's first round group also included Eritrea, who pulled out before qualifying even began due to reported government concerns that players would attempt to flee in exile during away matches.

In Group H, meanwhile, Equatorial Guinea were among the favourites to progress from a group that also featured Liberia, Tunisia, Namibia, Malawi and Sao Tome and Principe.

They recorded crucial 1-0 wins over both Namibia and Liberia in November 2023, which would have seen them qualify for the second round as group runners-up.

But six months on, FIFA awarded a pair of 3-0 forfeit wins to their opponents, citing an ineligible player that had appeared in both matches.

That player was former Middlesbrough and Birmingham forward Emilio Nsue, who scored the winning goal in both games.

He was given a six-month ban from international football by FIFA.

What was unusual about the case is that Nsue, rather than having made his international debut in those two fixtures, is actually Equatorial Guinea's all-time top scorer, with 22 goals.

The row stemmed from the fact that the Mallorca-born forward had played for Spain's various junior sides at youth level.

His final match for Spain's U21 side was in 2011, with FIFA concluding in 2013 that he had not been formerly cleared to play for Equatorial Guinea after he was deemed ineligible to play in two 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

Nsue has won 46 caps for Equatorial Guinea (Image: Getty)

The African nation's governing body, Feguifut, lodged a second eligibility request for Nsue earlier this year, which FIFA accepted in March.

Feguifut successfully proved that any person born to a mother or father from the country is automatically an Equatoguinean, with Nsue cleared to play.

Subsequently, an appeal was lodged to win back the six points that Equatorial Guinea had been forced to forfeit earlier in the qualifying campaign.

However, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) have now formally rejected the appeal, due to the governing body not including the Namibian FA and Liberian FA in its appeal.

As a result, the two 3-0 forfeits imposed by FIFA remain in the record books.

Had Equatorial Guinea been successful, Namibia would have dropped out of the second round of qualifying.

CAS' verdict, which was delivered on July 28 but was only made public on Thursday, as per BBC Sport, reads: "Since the appeal is directed solely at FIFA and does not name the NFA and LFA as co-respondents, the panel concludes that the appeal must be dismissed."

FIFA had argued that their punishment was 'lenient' on the African nation as they could have excluded them from World Cup qualifying due to the seriousness of the breaches.