Jesus de Miguel: Jesus Owono left out of Equatorial Guinea squad after death of Tenerife player

Goalkeeper Jesus Owono will miss Equatorial Guinea's 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers this month following the death of Tenerife forward Jesus de Miguel.

De Miguel, 30, died after suffering a serious injury in a collision with Owono during a Spanish second division match on Monday.

Owono said he is experiencing "the most difficult days of my life" in a statement issued by his club FC Andorra on Wednesday, adding that it is "very hard to come to terms with what has happened".

Equatorial Guinea's football federation (Feguifut) said that the 25-year-old had requested to be left out of coach Vincenzo Alberto Annese's squad.

Feguifut president Venancio Tomas Micha had previously said his organisation was offering "all our human and professional backing" to the player.

Owono has been first-choice keeper for the National Thunder since November 2020 and has featured at the past three Afcons.

Equatorial Guinea face Zimbabwe in a double-header in Group E, with a home match in Bata on Thursday, 12 November before a trip to Harare four days later.

The two teams sit level on three points after two rounds of matches, with DR Congo top of the standings on six points and Sierra Leone pointless at the bottom of the table.