AS reports that Spain’s players are refusing to have their photo taken with Teodoro Obiang, the President of Equatorial Guinea, when the World Cup champion visits the Africancountry on Friday. In fact, the national team has made it clear that it will not leave the hotel, except to train and play, as the players do not want their visit to have any political undertones toit.
Meanwhile, the opposition party in Equatorial Guinea has sent several letters to the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) and FIFA pleading for the game to be canceled. It has also warned thenational team not to help with the “dirty propaganda games” of a “regime that is dedicated to rape, assassinations and the rampant theft of oil wealth.”
Obiang, who is widelyviewed as a dictator, recently declared gleefully that, “the current world champion has agreed to play without any financial compensation, thanks to the excellent cultural relations offriendship and co-operation between Spain and our country.” According to AS, the Spanish government would very much like to get on better terms with Obiang’s government, as it wants in onsome of the country’s oil business.