Equatorial Guinea president awards team €1 million for Afcon victory

The president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang, declared January 23, 2024, a holiday after the national football team advanced to the round of 16 in the Africa Cup with a resounding 4-0 victory against Ivory Coast, the tournament’s host country.

“For the victory of Nzalang (the popular name for the national team, meaning ‘thunder’ in the local Fang language), I declare this January 23, 2024, #WORKFREEDAY!”, Obiang posted late on Monday on his X social media account.

“No one should work tomorrow (Tuesday) because of the victory of Nzalang Nacional”, reiterated the president.

In images broadcast by public television, the president, wearing the Equatorial Guinean team’s jersey, promised the players and the coaching staff a one million euros (1.09 million dollars) bonus for the victory.

“They are national heroes”, added the head of state later in X. The country’s vice president and Obiang’s son, Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, known as “Teodorín,” posted a video in which he, emotionally, repeats twice that the national team is the “best team in Africa.”

Their energy always delivers! ⚡️ #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 l #EQGCIV l @NzalangNacional pic.twitter.com/b9IfzzB00S

— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 22, 2024
“Today’s victory has been a brilliant victory, an excellent victory, and truly, we are all very proud and happy to see how you have won against the host country 4-0”, Teodorín said, also wearing the Nzalang jersey.

The vice president concluded his message with a “Bravo!” while applauding and raising his right fist in the air.

Hundreds of Equatorial Guinean fans, as shown in images circulated on social media, celebrated the victory in the streets of their country’s capital, Malabo, as well as in Abidjan, the commercial capital of Ivory Coast, where the match was played.