Equatorial Guinea Pair Handed Multi-Game Suspension for Referee Verbal Assault at Afcon.
The team captain will miss his side's last group fixture at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The National Thunder skipper Carlos Akapo and fellow squad member Josete Miranda have both been banned for four matches for verbally attacking the match official following their 1-0 defeat by Sudan at the 2025 Afcon.
The decision was made by a disciplinary panel after it reviewed the official's match report from the Group E clash on the weekend, a loss that confirmed the side's elimination from the competition.
The official reported that the two footballers "repeatedly directed abusive and obscene comments" towards him and his assistants following the full-time whistle.
"These remarks were delivered in a context of extreme frustration stemming from the defeat, but nonetheless represent a grave breach of the standards of sportsmanship and fair play as well as the governing rules," added the official.
Two matches of the individual suspensions for the two players have been deferred for a period of one year.
Immediate Consequences
Both players will now miss their team's last tournament fixture against Algeria on Wednesday.
In a related development, the country's football federation has been penalized a amount of ten thousand dollars after its coaching team and squad members engaged in "excessive and aggressive complaints" against calls by the refereeing team.
The official documentation detailed there was "a progressive deterioration in conduct on the touchline" following an own goal by defender Saul Coco in the second half.
Additional Governing Body Measures
In another incident, the tournament organizers have additionally fined Stallions skipper Bertrand Traore the sum of ten thousand dollars for "offensive remarks" made in a post-game media appearance after his team's defeat to their Group E rivals.
