Coach Juan Micha has announced his final 28-man Equatorial Guinea squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, with strong inclusions like Dorian Hanza, Basilio Ndong and Jesus Owono.
Deportivo Alaves’ Alex Balboa made the cut alongside Italy based Jose Machin, Olympiacos’ Oscar Siafa as well as Las Palmas’ Saul Coco.
Micha opted for six local-based professionals namely Manuel Sapunga (Futuro Kings), Mariano Magno (Deportivo Unidad), Miguel Angel Maye (Futuro Kings), Pedro Oba (Futuro Kings), Cosme Anvene (Deportivo Unidad) and Luis Enrique Nsue (Futuro Kings).
The Central Africans are making their third appearance in the biennial African showpiece with their best performance a fourth-place finish on home soil in 2015.
There, they lost 4-2 on penalties at the Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo as scores after extra time stood at 0-0.
That edition happened to be their last appearance at the African football showpiece as they failed to qualify for the 2017 (Gabon) and 2019 (Egypt) editions.
For Cameroon 2021, they have been paired in Group E alongside Algeria, Sierra Leone and Cote d'Ivoire. They will commence their campaign against the Elephants on January 12 at the Japoma Stadium, Douala.
Four days later, they will try the reigning African kings for size before squaring up against the Leone Stars on January 20 in Limbe.
Equatorial Guinea squad for Afcon 2021
Goalkeepers: Aitor Embela (Somozas, Spain), Jesus Owono (Deportivo Alaves, Spain), Manuel Sapunga (Futuro Kings, Equatorial Guinea), Mariano Magno (Deportivo Unidad, Equatorial Guinea).
Defenders: Carlos Akapo (Cadiz, Spain), Marvin Anieboh (Cacereno, Spain), Cosme Anvene (Deportivo Unidad, Equatorial Guinea), Saul Coco (Las Palmas, Spain), Miguel Angel Maye (Futuro Kings, Equatorial Guinea), Luis Meseguer (Navalcarnero, Spain), Basilio Ndong (Start, Norway), Luis Enrique Nsue (Futuro Kings, Equatorial Guinea), Esteban Obiang (Antequera, Spain)
Midfielders: Javier Akapo (Ibiza Islas Pitiusas, Spain), Alex Balboa (Deportivo Alaves, Spain), Ruben Belima, Federico Bikoro (both Hercules), Jannick Buyla (Gimnastic Tarragona, Spain), Santiago Eneme (Nantes, France), Pablo Ganet (Real Murcia, Spain), Jose Machin (Monza, Italy), Josete Miranda (Niki Volos, Greece).
Forwards: Dorian Hanza (Langreo, Spain), Luis Nlavo (Sporting Braga, Portugal), Emilio Nsue (unattached), Pedro Oba (Futuro Kings, Equatorial Guinea), Iban Salvador (Fuenlabrada, Spain), Oscar Siafa (Olympiakos Volos, Greece).