Goalkeeper Jesus Owono, 25, will miss Equatorial Guinea’s double header against Zimbabwe. Involved in the collision that caused the death of Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel, he has withdrawn because of the emotional impact of the incident.
Equatorial Guinea will have to do without their most-capped goalkeeper. Jesus Owono has been removed from the squad for the two matches against Zimbabwe on 12 and 16 November 2026, according to NewZimbabwe.com. The FC Andorra keeper was involved in the collision that caused the death of Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel during the Segunda División match between the two clubs.
The Equatoguinean federation confirmed the withdrawal, citing the emotional impact of the incident, the Zimbabwean outlet reports. Head coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese thus loses his goalkeeper at a crucial moment in Group E, without having yet named a replacement.
A tragedy in Segunda División
The events date back to the FC Andorra – Tenerife match. Jesus de Miguel, a CD Tenerife forward, was taken to intensive care after the collision and then died on Tuesday morning, according to NewZimbabwe.com. Owono offered his condolences to the family and team-mates of the deceased player.
In comments reported by the outlet, the goalkeeper describes these days as the hardest of his life: “These are the most difficult days of my life.” According to NewZimbabwe.com, he also deactivated his Instagram page after online criticism.
A national team pillar left out
The sporting weight of the withdrawal is considerable. Owono has kept goal for Equatorial Guinea since his teens and played at the last three AFCONs, NewZimbabwe.com recalls. He had also played the first two qualifying matches in September.
On 2 November, the federation had announced a 25-man squad. The other goalkeepers on that list included Manuel Sapunga, Marcos Luis Ondo and Miguel Angel Oscar. Annese must now name Owono’s replacement, and no name has been put forward at this stage.
Group E at stake
Equatorial Guinea host Zimbabwe on 12 November 2026, before travelling to Harare for the return match on 16 November, according to NewZimbabwe.com.
In the Group E table, DR Congo lead with six points. Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea have three points each, with Sierra Leone bottom on zero.
The head coach must therefore find a goalkeeper for these two games, in a group where DR Congo have already opened up a gap.