National Thunder Duo Issued Multi-Game Ban for Referee Abuse at Afcon.
Carlos Akapo will miss his nation's last tournament fixture at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Equatorial Guinea captain Carlos Akapo and teammate Josete Miranda have both been banned for four games for verbally attacking the match official after their 1-0 defeat by Sudan at the 2025 Afcon.
The ruling was handed down by a disciplinary panel after it examined the official's match report from the Group E encounter on Sunday, a loss that sealed the side's exit from the tournament.
The referee stated that the two players "continually uttered abusive and offensive remarks" towards him and his assistants after the full-time whistle.
"Such comments were delivered in a context of extreme frustration related to the loss, but nonetheless constitute a grave violation of the principles of sportsmanship and fair play as well as the disciplinary regulations," added the official.
Two matches of the respective suspensions for the two players have been deferred for a period of one calendar year.
Immediate Impact
The duo will now miss their nation's last group match against their next opponents on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the country's football federation has been fined a sum of ten thousand dollars after its technical staff and squad members engaged in "excessive and abusive protests" against decisions by the refereeing team.
The official documentation detailed there was "a steady deterioration in behaviour on the sidelines" after an own goal by Equatorial Guinea defender Saul Coco in the second half.
Further Disciplinary Action
Elsewhere, the tournament organizers have also penalized Burkina Faso captain Bertrand Traore the sum of ten thousand dollars for "offensive remarks" uttered in a post-game interview following his team's 1-0 loss to Angola.
