FIFA have launched an official investigation into a country and it could stop them qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to kick off across the United States, Mexico and Canada in less than eight months, the final qualification matches are underway.
Currently, less than half of the 48 teams set to compete in North America have qualified for the competition, with 28 spots yet to be filled.
Although each of the different international football governing bodies have different ways of qualifying for the World Cup, each of them have some spots still to fill before the competition begins.
Advert
But for one country, their chances of making it to the World Cup could take a major blow as FIFA has launched an investigation that could ultimately stop them from qualifying.
During the World Cup there will at at least nine nations from the Confederation of African Football competing, with a potential 10th team joining if they secure a spot through an inter-confederation play-off.
In order to decide which teams travel to North America, teams were drawn into nine groups of six, with the winner of each group automatically qualifying and the four best runners-up participating in play-offs to decide which team will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs.
However, things have now gotten even more difficult for Equatorial Guinea as FIFA have launched an investigation into the African nation after they did not travel to their latest World Cup qualifying game.
On Thursday night, Malawi were set to host Equatorial Guinea at the Bingu National Stadium in their capital, Lilongwe.
But just hours before the game was scheduled to begin, the Football Association of Malawi announced that it had been called off due to "unforeseen travel complications" for their opponents.
And now FIFA have announced that its disciplinary committee will investigate why the Equatorial Guinea men’s team did not go to Malawi for a game.
Equatorial Guinea have already forfeited their first two games last November as 3-0 losses after FIFA decided that captain Emilio Nsue was not eligible to represent the country in the qualifier matches.
Nsue was later cleared to resume playing at Equatorial Guinea, and the African nation now find themselves in with a chance of a spot in the playoffs by finishing second in the group behind winners Tunisia.
In their official statement confirming that the game was cancelled, the Malawi football federation said the decision was made "due to unforeseen travel complications affecting the visiting team.”
However, a post on the football team's official account revealed that the players had voted in favour of not travelling to the game over fears for their health after being asked to fly overnight and land on the morning of the game
As a result of the decision, the national federation suspended coach Juan Micha on social media that the players and coach had disrespected the people of Equatorial Guinea.
Topics: FIFA, Football, Football World Cup, FIFA World Cup
Ben McCrum