By Sohaib Shams
Equatorial Guinea goalkeeper Jesus Owono has been left out of the national squad for upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers following his involvement in the death of Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel.
Collision leads to tragedy
Owono collided with De Miguel in stoppage time of Andorra's Spanish second-tier match against Tenerife on Monday, receiving a red card. De Miguel was rushed to intensive care and died the following morning.
Owono expresses grief
The goalkeeper released a statement on Wednesday describing "enormous pain" and said he is living through "the most difficult days of my life," struggling to process the loss.
Federation offers support
The Equatorial Guinea Football Federation expressed condolences for the "irreparable loss" of De Miguel and pledged full personal and professional support to Owono, with president Venancio Ndong emphasizing solidarity.
International absence
Owono, who has been Equatorial Guinea's first-choice goalkeeper since his teens and featured in the last three Africa Cup of Nations finals, will miss qualifiers against Zimbabwe in Bata on November 12 and in Harare on November 16.
