Equatorial Guinea Pair Issued Multi-Game Ban for Referee Abuse at Afcon.
The team captain will miss his side's final tournament fixture at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The National Thunder skipper Carlos Akapo and teammate Josete Miranda have each been suspended for four games for verbally attacking the referee after their narrow loss by their opponents at the 2025 Afcon.
The ruling was made by a governing body committee after it reviewed the referee's report from the tournament encounter on Sunday, a result that sealed the side's elimination from the tournament.
The official stated that the two players "repeatedly directed abusive and offensive comments" towards him and his linesmen following the full-time whistle.
"Such comments were made in a context of extreme anger stemming from the defeat, but nevertheless constitute a serious breach of the standards of sportsmanship and conduct as well as the disciplinary regulations," added the referee.
Two matches of the respective suspensions for Akapo and Miranda have been suspended for a period of one calendar year.
Tournament Consequences
The duo will be unavailable for their nation's final group match against Algeria on midweek.
In a related development, the nation's football federation has been fined a sum of ten thousand dollars after its technical staff and squad members engaged in "persistent and abusive protests" against calls by the refereeing team.
The match report indicated there was "a steady decline in conduct on the sidelines" after an own goal by defender Saul Coco in the 74th minute.
Additional Disciplinary Measures
In another incident, the tournament organizers have additionally penalized Burkina Faso captain Bertrand Traore the sum of ten thousand dollars for "offensive remarks" uttered in a post-match interview after his team's defeat to Angola.
