Shocking Treatment of Jesus Owono’s Brother Who Also Plays Football in Spain

The death of Jesus de Miguel has deeply affected FC Andorra goalkeeper Jesus Owono and he is said to be considering quitting football as his family also suffer from the tragedy.

Owono collided with De Miguel during Andorra’s encounter with Tenerife on November 2nd and the Spanish striker suffered a blunt cardiac injury. This caused a cardiac arrest and the 30-year-old sadly passed away in hospital the following day.

The Equatoguinean goalkeeper received a red card and has since been experiencing grief, guilt and is struggling to process the events that have unfolded. He apologised for the collision with a statement describing the situation as the worst period of his life.

Jesus Owono Younger Brother Harrassed

REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani

Owono’s club are providing him with emotional support and have been showing him videos of similar incidents involving athletes to help him regain his confidence. He has been omitted from Equatorial Guinea’s squad for the upcoming international break as he recovers.

It’s not only the 25-year-old who has been affected by the tragedy, as his younger brother is unfortunately being harassed. General Coordinator of the Equatorial Guinea men’s national team, Ana Cristiana Maye, told Mundo Deportivo that this treatment is one of her biggest concerns.

Maye said that the family have told her that Owono’s brother is being insulted by people, even in the sporting community. She stated, “They’re calling Jesus’ brother a murderer. He’s being heckled by his teammates, and even some parents are insulting him. It’s very hard. His sister, who studies at the University of Valencia, is also suffering because of what’s happening. They don’t deserve this.”

Owono’s parents and siblings are also affected as his mother traveled to Andorra to stay with the goalkeeper while the rest of the family remained in the Basque Country. Their anxieties have been further worsened by journalists camping outside their home.

Maye said, “They are also grieving, albeit in a different way. The family of the deceased has lost a very dear person, and that weighs heavily on them. They will have to live with what happened for the rest of their lives. But Jesús’s family’s life has also changed forever, and they don’t deserve to be devastated like this.”

Fixtures involving Andorra and Tenerife in the Spanish second division have been postponed out of respect following De Miguel’s passing. Owono isn’t expected to be back playing for quite some time as he works with his club to overcome the feelings of guilt.

Online Abuse Extends Beyond Jesus Owono’s Family

Owono reportedly deleted his Instagram account after receiving abusive messages following the tragedy. The toxic online reaction to De Miguel’s death has even led to individuals sending insults and threats to the wrong footballer.

FC Can Vidalet defender Michel Owono has been targeted on social media due to sharing the same surname as the Andorra goalkeeper. He was forced to explain the situation on Instagram, reposting screenshots of messages including racism, hatred and intolerance.

Jesus Owono has only been playing for Tenerife since August after joining the Spanish second-tier outfit as a free agent after leaving Alaves. He spent last season on loan at the Heliodoro Rodriguez Lopez Stadium and has been Equatorial Guinea’s number one since 2019, earning 47 caps for his country.