Football match canceled due to players' boycott: what happened.

Match between Malawi and Equatorial Guinea canceled

According to The Sun: The World Cup qualifying match between Malawi and Equatorial Guinea did not take place due to the guests' refusal to travel. The reason is a dispute between the players and the national federation.

The teams were supposed to meet today at the Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe.

AlamyThe teams were supposed to meet at the Bingu National Stadium

Only a few hours before the start of the game, the Malawi Football Federation announced the cancellation of the match due to 'unforeseen travel difficulties' for the guests.

“The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) informs the public that the FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Malawi and Equatorial Guinea, scheduled for today at 18:00 at the Bingu National Stadium, will not take place due to unforeseen travel difficulties affecting the visiting team.”

“FIFA has officially canceled the match.”

“FAM will provide further updates regarding the status of tickets purchased in advance in due time.”

“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this development may cause.”

Football journalist in Africa Micky Junior notes that there were difficulties between the Equatorial Guinea players and their federation regarding the travel schedule.

He adds that the players learned about the flight to Malawi in the morning, but later they found out that their flight was rescheduled to the afternoon.

This meant that the teams had to prepare on the plane before the match at the Bingu Stadium.

After meetings, it is claimed that the players decided not to go.

It is currently unknown what the further decision will be regarding the canceled match.

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Upcoming matches

Both teams plan to play their next matches during this international break.

Malawi will travel to São Tomé and Príncipe for the final qualifying campaign match on Monday.

Equatorial Guinea has also scheduled a match against Liberia on the same day.

Last month, the Central African country failed to appeal a six-point deduction due to the use of an ineligible player in matches against Namibia and Liberia in November 2023.

FIFA decided that Emilio Nsue, a former player of Middlesbrough and Birmingham, never received official permission to change his nationality from Spanish to Equatorial Guinean.

This player was banned in 46 matches, but the team did not get their points back.

AFPEmilio Nsue has been a permanent player for the Equatorial Guinea national team for several years. Currently, the situation with the cancellation of the match between Malawi and Equatorial Guinea has raised concerns not only among the fans of the teams but also within the football community as a whole. Both teams may try to find ways to overcome their internal problems in order to fulfill their commitments in future matches that are significant for their status on the international stage.