Fifa cancels World Cup qualifier between Equatorial Guinea and Malawi | OneFootball

The 2026 World Cup Qualifier match between Malawi and Equatorial Guinea, scheduled for Thursday afternoon, was canceled after the Equatorial Guinea team refused to board a charter flight to Lilongwe in protest against travel conditions.

The delegation "decided not to travel" to Malawi on Wednesday to play the game, according to a letter from the secretary-general of the Federation of Football Associations (FEGUIFUT), consulted by AFP.

Juan Antonio Nguema Meñe Abeso, secretary-general of the Federation of Football Associations (FEGUIFUT), stated in a letter that "problems with the charter flight" that was supposed to transport the team caused the setback. Although, according to him, "the issues were resolved by 6 PM local time," the players ultimately refused to travel.

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In a statement published on Wednesday night on the Instagram account of Nzalang Nacional (as the team is known), the players warned that "traveling under these conditions just hours before the match puts our physical health at serious risk."

The Equatorial Guinea team criticized the "poor organization of Feguifut" and the "lack of clear information" about their departure, just 24 hours before kickoff.

On Thursday night, the players remained at the hotel, according to an AFP journalist present at the location.

FIFA confirmed on its website that the match was "canceled," without detailing the impact on Group H standings. Equatorial Guinea is in fifth place with 10 points, while Malawi is in fourth with the same score.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.