Goalkeeper Jesús Owono, of Andorra FC and Equatorial Guinea, asked not to play the national team’s two matches in the November window. His head coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese explained the absence, amid mourning after the death of forward Jesús Demiguel.
The November international window will go ahead without Jesús Owono. The Equatorial Guinea and Andorra FC goalkeeper asked the Equatoguinean Federation (FEGUIFUT) and the staff for permission not to take part in the two matches on the schedule, PPSport reports.
On 4 November, head coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese explained the absence, along with that of midfielder Omar Mascarell, in his latest squad list. According to the same source, the goalkeeper wants to stay at his club to keep his starting place and his continuity. But the main reason lies elsewhere: Owono is deeply affected by the death of Jesús Demiguel, the Tenerife forward who died from his injuries after a collision with the goalkeeper in the Segunda División matchday 12 game between Tenerife and Andorra FC.
A shattered Andorra FC dressing room
The Andorra FC dressing room is shattered too. Lautaro Spatz, an Andorra FC player, described the mood in the squad and around their goalkeeper, quoted by Zuoyidq: “Owono is deeply shaken by what happened. Those who know him know what a good man he is, how much he is suffering right now, and that he could never have wanted to hurt anyone.”
According to PPSport, Owono has closed his social media accounts. The goalkeeper also wants to apologise to Demiguel’s family in private.
Mascarell, a case still open
The other absence flagged by Vincenzo Alberto Annese concerns Omar Mascarell. The midfielder still has unresolved issues with the Equatoguinean federation, PPSport says. The head coach nonetheless sees him as an important part of the project.
So the Mascarell case remains open: any return to the national team depends on that dispute being settled. Owono’s absence, by contrast, is down to personal reasons and his wish to stay at Andorra FC.
Zimbabwe in their sights
On the pitch, Equatorial Guinea face Zimbabwe in the qualifiers for AFCON 2027. The staff will have to manage without their goalkeeper for this November window.
Owono’s return to the national team has not been announced at this stage. The goalkeeper first wants to keep his starting place at Andorra FC, the club he plays for at the time he asked to step away from international matches.