Fans witnessed a historic moment in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) as former Middlesbrough star Emilio Nsue became the first player in 16 years to score a hat-trick in the tournament. Nsue, now playing for Intercity in Spain, showcased his prowess in Equatorial Guinea’s 4-2 victory over Guinea-Bissau, following a 1-1 draw with Nigeria.

The 34-year-old, who played a crucial role in Middlesbrough’s promotion in 2016 and later featured for Birmingham City, opened the scoring in the first half and added two more goals after the break. Nsue’s remarkable feat marked the first hat-trick at Afcon since Morocco’s Soufiane Alloudi achieved it 16 years ago. Equatorial Guinea’s celebration of Nsue’s historic moment added to the spectacle, as VAR confirmed his onside position after an initial offside flag.

The entire outfield team joined an elaborate routine, tucking their shirts into their shorts, with midfielder Pablo Ganet leading the way. Ganet concluded the celebration with a Michael Jackson-esque dance move, earning praise as the “best routine celebration of the tournament.” Despite conceding late in the match, Equatorial Guinea has now accumulated four points from their first two Group A matches, positioning themselves favorably for the knockout stage.

Here is the highlight video of Equatorial Guinea vs. Guinea-Bissau, which ended with a 4-2 victory for Equatorial Guinea.

Intercity performance and stats

It will be Intercity ended the league in the position with points.