Goalkeeper involved in Jesus de Miguel death not selected for international duty

Jesus Owono, the goalkeeper involved in the death of Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel , has been left out of the Equatorial Guinea squad ahead of the upcoming international break. Owono collided with De Miguel in stoppage time of Andorra ’s Spanish second-tier match with Tenerife on Monday, for which he was shown a red card. De Miguel was subsequently rushed to intensive care and died the following morning. The goalkeeper put out a statement on Wednesday expressing his “enormous pain” and said he is living through “the most difficult days of my life”. “I’m struggling to find the words and finding it very difficult to process anything that has happened,” Owono said. “I feel enormous pain at the loss of Jesus. I think of him, his family, and all the people who loved him. I know there will be many issues to address, and I will face whatever comes with the utmost respect. But right now, honestly, I can’t think of anything other than Jesus and the pain we are experiencing. Rest in peace, Jesus.” Following the tragedy, Owono has not been called up by his country for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Owono has been Equatorial Guinea’s first-choice goalkeeper since he was a teenager and competed with them at the last three Africa Cup of Nations finals, including their shock run to the knockout stage in 2023, when the minnow nation topped their group ahead of former champions Nigeria and Ivory Coast. He was in goal for their opening two qualifiers for the 2027 finals in September but ‌will miss matches against Zimbabwe in ‌Bata on 12 November and then a return in Harare on 16 November. It comes after the Equatorial Guinea Football Federation offered its support to Owono in a statement expressing their condolences on the “irreparable loss” of De Miguel. “I feel compelled to convey our full solidarity and support to our player, Jesus Lazaro Owono, during this difficult moment,” wrote federation president Venancio Ndong. “We understand that, as the involuntary participant in this tragic incident on the pitch, he is experiencing profound distress and sorrow. The Equatorial Guinea Football Federation offers him its full personal and professional support, fully aware of how devastating this incident is - something that nobody in our sport ever wishes to witness. “We share in your grief and remain entirely at your disposal.”