🔗 Share this article Equatorial Guinea Duo Handed Multi-Game Suspension for Official Verbal Assault at Afcon. Carlos Akapo will be absent for his nation's last tournament fixture at Afcon 2025. Equatorial Guinea skipper Carlos Akapo and fellow squad member Josete Miranda have each been banned for four games for verbally attacking the referee following their narrow loss 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 tournament clash on the weekend, a result that confirmed the team's elimination from the competition. The official reported that the two players "continually uttered insulting and offensive remarks" towards him and his linesmen following the final whistle. "These remarks were delivered in a atmosphere of intense anger related to the loss, but nonetheless constitute a serious violation of the standards of respect and fair play as well as the disciplinary regulations," noted the official. A portion of the individual suspensions for the two players have been deferred for a term of one calendar year. Tournament Consequences Both players will be unavailable for their team's final group match against Algeria on Wednesday. In a related development, the country's football federation has been penalized a sum of $10,000 after its technical staff and players engaged in "persistent and abusive complaints" against calls by the refereeing team. The match report detailed there was "a steady decline in conduct on the sidelines" following an unfortunate deflection by defender Saul Coco in the second half. Further Governing Body Action Elsewhere, the tournament organizers have additionally fined Stallions skipper Bertrand Traore the amount of $10,000 for "offensive remarks" made in a post-match interview following his team's 1-0 loss to Angola.
Carlos Akapo will be absent for his nation's last tournament fixture at Afcon 2025. Equatorial Guinea skipper Carlos Akapo and fellow squad member Josete Miranda have each been banned for four games for verbally attacking the referee following their narrow loss 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 tournament clash on the weekend, a result that confirmed the team's elimination from the competition. The official reported that the two players "continually uttered insulting and offensive remarks" towards him and his linesmen following the final whistle. "These remarks were delivered in a atmosphere of intense anger related to the loss, but nonetheless constitute a serious violation of the standards of respect and fair play as well as the disciplinary regulations," noted the official. A portion of the individual suspensions for the two players have been deferred for a term of one calendar year. Tournament Consequences Both players will be unavailable for their team's final group match against Algeria on Wednesday. In a related development, the country's football federation has been penalized a sum of $10,000 after its technical staff and players engaged in "persistent and abusive complaints" against calls by the refereeing team. The match report detailed there was "a steady decline in conduct on the sidelines" following an unfortunate deflection by defender Saul Coco in the second half. Further Governing Body Action Elsewhere, the tournament organizers have additionally fined Stallions skipper Bertrand Traore the amount of $10,000 for "offensive remarks" made in a post-match interview following his team's 1-0 loss to Angola.