Equatorial Guinea Obiang Mangue, and other close relatives with powerful positions in the security forces. The tension may be rooted in a power shift arising from the dramatic increase in oil production which has occurred since 1997. In 2004 a plane load of suspected mercenaries was intercepted in Zimbabwe while allegedly on the way to overthrow Obiang. A November 2004 report named Mark Thatcher as a financial backer of the 2004 Equatorial Guinea coup d'état attempt organized by Simon Mann. Various accounts also named the United Kingdom's MI6, the United States' CIA, and Spain as tacit supporters of the coup attempt. Nevertheless,
Football in Equatorial Guinea Football in Equatorial Guinea Association football (soccer) is the most popular sport in Equatorial Guinea. It was during the Spanish colonialism that football arrived to Equatorial Guinea. Football is now a very popular sport in the country. Recently the national team has made a few surprising results. In the qualification for the FIFA World Cup in 2006 Togo (who later qualified for the World Cup) was beaten 1-0, and in the qualification for the African Cup of Nations they beat Cameroon 1-0. Equatorial Guinea co-hosted the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations with Gabon, and was the host of the 2015