Equatorial Guinea legend Emilio Nsue announces retirement from football

Equatorial Guinea’s all-time leading goalscorer Emilio Nsue has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 36, bringing an end to a career that spanned more than two decades.

The veteran striker, who also finished as the top scorer at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, confirmed his decision to hang up his boots after his final spell with Spanish club CF Intercity.

Nsue’s retirement marks the end of a long and varied career that saw him play in Spain, England and Cyprus while representing several clubs at both domestic and international level.

The Equatorial Guinea international began his senior career in Spain and went on to represent clubs including Real Sociedad, RCD Mallorca and CF Intercity.

He also gained experience in English football, playing for Middlesbrough and Birmingham City, before continuing his career in Cyprus with Apollon Limassol and APOEL Nicosia.

However, it was at international level where Nsue established himself as one of Equatorial Guinea’s most important and prolific players.

The forward became the country’s all-time leading goalscorer and played a key role in several of Equatorial Guinea’s memorable appearances on the continental stage.

His most remarkable individual tournament came at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where he finished as the competition’s leading scorer after producing a series of impressive performances for the National Thunder.

At 36, Nsue has now decided that the time is right to bring his professional playing career to an end.

The striker announced his retirement in an emotional message, reflecting on the journey that began when he was just nine years old and dreamed of becoming a professional footballer.

“The time has come to say goodbye. More than two decades of living the dream that a 9-year-old boy once had”

“Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey. To those who were there from the start, to those who joined later, and to everyone who made this journey unforgettable. Today I am closing a chapter, but not a story. Thank you for everything. Emilio Nsue López” wrote Nsue.

From his early days in Spanish football to his spells in England and Cyprus, and ultimately his status as Equatorial Guinea’s record goalscorer, Nsue leaves the game having created a lasting legacy.

His performances at the Africa Cup of Nations, particularly his goalscoring exploits at the 2023 tournament, will remain among the defining moments of his international career.

For now, however, the Equatorial Guinean legend can look back on more than 20 years of professional football with the satisfaction of having fulfilled the dream of the nine-year-old boy he once was.