🔗 Share this article Equatorial Guinea Pair Issued Four-Match Ban for Referee Abuse at Afcon. The team captain will be absent for his nation's last group fixture at Afcon 2025. Equatorial Guinea skipper Carlos Akapo and teammate Josete Miranda have each been suspended for four games for abusing the referee following their 1-0 defeat by Sudan at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The ruling was made by a disciplinary panel after it examined the referee's report from the Group E encounter on the weekend, a result that confirmed the side's elimination from the tournament. The official stated that the two footballers "repeatedly directed insulting and obscene comments" towards him and his assistants following the final whistle. "Such comments were made in a context of extreme frustration related to the loss, but nevertheless represent a serious violation of the standards of respect and fair play as well as the disciplinary regulations," added the official. Two matches of the individual bans for the two players have been suspended for a term of one year. Tournament Impact Both players will now miss their team's final tournament fixture against Algeria on midweek. Meanwhile, the country's governing body has been penalized a sum of $10,000 after its technical staff and players engaged in "excessive and aggressive protests" against decisions by the refereeing team. The official documentation indicated there was "a steady decline in behaviour on the touchline" after an unfortunate deflection by Equatorial Guinea defender Saul Coco in the second half. Additional Governing Body Action 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-game media appearance after his team's 1-0 loss to Angola.
The team captain will be absent for his nation's last group fixture at Afcon 2025. Equatorial Guinea skipper Carlos Akapo and teammate Josete Miranda have each been suspended for four games for abusing the referee following their 1-0 defeat by Sudan at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The ruling was made by a disciplinary panel after it examined the referee's report from the Group E encounter on the weekend, a result that confirmed the side's elimination from the tournament. The official stated that the two footballers "repeatedly directed insulting and obscene comments" towards him and his assistants following the final whistle. "Such comments were made in a context of extreme frustration related to the loss, but nevertheless represent a serious violation of the standards of respect and fair play as well as the disciplinary regulations," added the official. Two matches of the individual bans for the two players have been suspended for a term of one year. Tournament Impact Both players will now miss their team's final tournament fixture against Algeria on midweek. Meanwhile, the country's governing body has been penalized a sum of $10,000 after its technical staff and players engaged in "excessive and aggressive protests" against decisions by the refereeing team. The official documentation indicated there was "a steady decline in behaviour on the touchline" after an unfortunate deflection by Equatorial Guinea defender Saul Coco in the second half. Additional Governing Body Action 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-game media appearance after his team's 1-0 loss to Angola.