By Danesius Marteh
Liberia forced Equatorial Guinea to a 1-1 draw at the Nuevo Estadio de Malabo in Malabo on 13 October to end its campaign in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Federico Bikoro gave the hosts a 14 minute lead but Malta-based Nicholas Andrew leveled in the 27th minute from a Divine Teah assist.
It was midfielder Andrew’s second goal in four caps for Liberia, who finished third with 15 points from 10 matches, the same as second-placed Namibia, who have a superior goal advantage.
Tunisia topped the group with 28 points while Sao Tome & Principe finished bottom with three points.
Equatorial Guinea’s campaign was overshadowed with a row between the players and football association (Feguifut).
Head coach Juan Micha was sacked after a strike meant the team failed to travel to Malawi on 9 October with Fifa likely to punish them.
Several regulars, including veteran captain Emilio Nsue, were removed from the squad for the match with Liberia.
Juan and key players refused to travel to Malawi, citing continual complaints over conditions and money.
Feguifut confirmed Juan’s dismissal in a social media post on 12 October.
“The Ministry of Sports has given players called up for these Fifa matches, who believe they can continue to defend their country the opportunity to put their names on a list.
“Otherwise, anyone who doesn’t do so will be deemed to have opted out and will no longer be part of the national team,” it said.
