List of naturalised Equatoguinean international football players

The Equatorial Guinea national football association has courted controversy by naturalising players who had no ties to the country in an en attempt to improve the ability of the national team. In 2009, South African journalist Mark Gleeson wrote that CAF and FIFA overlook the incidents as they are low profile.

In October 2011, the situation was highlighted on the BBC World Service.

French coach Henri Michel said that he would not naturalise players excessively and that it was important to keep an Equatoguinean identity. He later resigned from his position as Equatorial Guinea's head coach twice (October and December 2012) citing "external interference".

When Equatorial Guinea hosted the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012, ten of the players in the squad were naturalised Equatoguineans. Zambia coach Herve Renard called on the football governing bodies to crack down on the fielding of ineligible naturalised players.

In 2012, having lost the first leg of a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations qualification round 4-0 to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea recruited nine Brazilian players to help overturn the deficit for the second leg. Democratic Republic of the Congo head coach Claude Le Roy complained that that the Equatorial Guinea were acting like the United Nations of football.

Both the current Minister of Sports of Equatorial Guinea, Francisco Pascual Obama Eyegue Asue, and Ruslan Obiang Nsue, the President Teodoro Obiang's son related to sports issues, have responsibility in this matter.

One of the players involved in this move, André Neles, revealed that he received US$ 200,000 for naturalized Equatoguinean and would receive US$ 10,000 for every game played in the national team.

This phenomenon occurs not only in the men's team, but also in the female. In fact, the recent successes of the «Nzalang Femenino» –three African Championship finals (won two of them) and qualifying for the Women's World Cup 2011– are related to the inclusion of Brazilian players since the 2008 African Championship.

By way of justification, Jade Boho said: «The naturalized we are because we have African roots». She actually does not belong to the naturalised group, because although born in Spain, she qualified by Equatorial Guinea because her father was born there. Another excuse, this time from Eyegue Asue, is that they have modern stadiums, good facilities, but require a physical structure, of people.

Naturalised players who have represented Equatorial Guinea include:

Brazil

• Aldir Rodrigues Nascimento Junior (Aldir)

• Alexandre de Oliveira Honorato (Amaral)

• Anderson Ferreira

• André Neles

• Bruna Amarante da Silva (W)

• Camila do Carmo Nobre de Oliveira (Camila Nobre) (W)

• Carlos César Mateus (Carlinhos)

• Carolina Conceição Martins Pereira (Carol Carioca) (W)

• Jussara Souza Neves (Cisne) (W)

• Ana Cristina da Silva (Cris) (W)

• Daniel Martins

• Emmanuel Danilo Clementino Silva (Danilo)

• Adriana Soares Parente (Drika) (W)

• Dúlcia Maria Davi (Dulce) (W)

• Fernando Alves dos Santos

• Floriano Claudino de Souza (Floriano)

• Jailton Eduardo da Silva (Jaílton)

• Jonatas Paulino da Silva Inacio (Jonatas Obina)

• Judson Augusto do Bonfim Santos (Judson)

• Jumária Barbosa de Santana (Jumária/Ju) (W)

• Leonardo Santa Rita Quirino (Léo Quirino)

• Mariana da Silva Machado (Mari) (W)

• Mirian Silva da Paixão (W)

• Mauricio de Alencar Alves (Mauricio)

• Ygor da Silva (Nena)

• Luiz de Paula Neto (Neto)

• Edvânia Miranda da Silva (Ninha) (W)

• Eduardo Santos Thomaz (Portela)

• Ricardinho

• Claudiney Ramos (Rincon)

• Ronan Carolino Falcão

• Etelvino Bomfim dos Santos (Téo/Theo)

• Adriana Aparecida Costa (Tiga/Tiganinha) (W)

• Vânia Cristina Martins (W)

Burkina Faso

• Tou Awa (W)

• Yao Awa (W)

• Bilguissa Simporé (W)

• Salimata Simporé (W)

Cameroon

• Achille Pensy

• Christian Bon

• Christelle Nyepel (W)

• Doceline Theolore (W)

• Dorine Chuigoué (W)

• Éric Batinga

• Francis Mbome

• Ghyslaine Nke (W)

• Ibrahim Agbo

• Jean-Maxime Ndongo

• Lætitia Chapeh (W)

• Lucien Moutassie

• Isaac Mvondo

• Manuel Sima

• Narcisse Ekanga

• Samuel Itondo

• Thierry Fidjeu

• Téclaire Bille † (W)

• Valéry Ntenfa

• Viera Ellong

Colombia

• Fernelly Castillo

• Danny Quendambú

• Rolan de la Cruz

Ghana

• Oscar Amoabeng

• Seth Appiah

Ivory Coast

• Ben Konaté

• Fousseny Kamissoko

Liberia

• Lawrence Doe

Mali

• Fatoumata Ndiaye (W)

Nigeria

• Anita Amarachi (W)

• Blessing Diala (W)

• Daniel Ekedo

• Gloria Chinasa (W)

• Kelvin Onosiughe

Senegal

• Abdoulaye Ndoye

• Mamadou Baldé

• Biranna Diop

• El Hadji Ibrahim Touré

Spain/Cape Verde

• Rui Da Gracia (Spanish-born to Cape Verdean parents)

Spain/Ivory Coast

• Yago Alonso-Fueyo Sako (Ivorian-born to a Spanish faher and an Ivorian mother)

(W): For the women's team.