2004 Equatorial Guinea coup d'état attempt the US of backing the plot, but the Pentagon denies supporting it. US officials say it was Greg Wales who made all the approaches to them. Greg Wales, a London-based property dealer, is alleged to have raised $500,000. Equatorial Guinea official sources claim that in November 2003 , when the plot was in its early stages, an Old Etonian mercenary, Simon Mann, paid Mr Wales about $8,000. Mr Wales denies any involvement in the coup. Theresa Whelan, a member of the Bush administration in charge of African affairs at the Pentagon, twice met a London-based businessman, Greg Wales, in Washington
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