By Tata Mbunwe
Equatorial Guinea’s captain Emilio Nsue Lopez etched his name in the history books by scoring the first AFCON hat-trick in 16 years, leading his team to a thrilling 4-2 victory over Guinea Bissau.
The former Middlesbrough and Birmingham player’s remarkable feat gave Equatorial Guinea four points in Group A, following their earlier 1-1 draw against Nigeria.
At 34, Nsue joins the list of AFCON hat-trick heroes, a roster that includes Souffiane Alloudi, Samuel Eto’o, Hossam Hassan, and Benni McCarthy.
Nsue opened the scoreline in the 21st minute, capitalizing on a poor clearance by Guinea-Bissau goalkeeper Ouparine Djoco.
The equilibrium was short-lived as Guinea-Bissau responded with an equalizer after 37 minutes, thanks to a low cross from Mauro Rodrigues that resulted in an own goal by defender Esteban.
However, a series of defensive mistakes by Guinea-Bissau provided Equatorial Guinea with another opportunity to take the lead early in the second half.
In the 51st minute, Djoco’s misjudgment of Basilio Ndong’s cross allowed Nsue to finish at the far post, extending the advantage for his team.
He completed his hat-trick in the 60th minute after rounding Djoco.
Initially, the goal was flagged offside, but a VAR review confirmed its legitimacy.
This hat-trick by Emilio Nsue marks the first since Morocco’s Soufiane Alloudi achieved the feat in a 5-1 victory against Namibia in 2008.
