🔗 Share this article Equatorial Guinea Pair Handed Four-Match Ban for Referee Abuse at Afcon. The team captain will be absent for his side's final tournament fixture at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Equatorial Guinea captain Carlos Akapo and teammate Josete Miranda have both been banned for four matches for abusing the referee following their 1-0 defeat by their opponents at the 2025 Afcon. The decision was made by a governing body committee after it examined the referee's report from the Group E encounter on the weekend, a result that sealed the side's elimination from the tournament. The referee reported that the two players "repeatedly uttered insulting and offensive remarks" towards him and his assistants after the final whistle. "Such comments were made in a context of intense anger related to the loss, but nonetheless represent a serious breach of the standards of respect and fair play as well as the disciplinary regulations," noted the official. Two matches of the respective suspensions for Akapo and Miranda have been suspended for a term of one calendar year. Immediate Impact Both players will now miss their team's final group match against their next opponents on midweek. In a related development, the country's football federation has been fined a amount of $10,000 after its technical staff and players engaged in "persistent and abusive protests" against calls by the officials. The match report detailed there was "a steady decline in conduct on the touchline" following an own goal by Equatorial Guinea defender Saul Coco in the 74th minute. Further Disciplinary Action In another incident, the continental body have also penalized Stallions skipper Bertrand Traore the sum of $10,000 for "offensive comments" made in a post-game media appearance after his side's 1-0 loss to Angola.
The team captain will be absent for his side's final tournament fixture at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Equatorial Guinea captain Carlos Akapo and teammate Josete Miranda have both been banned for four matches for abusing the referee following their 1-0 defeat by their opponents at the 2025 Afcon. The decision was made by a governing body committee after it examined the referee's report from the Group E encounter on the weekend, a result that sealed the side's elimination from the tournament. The referee reported that the two players "repeatedly uttered insulting and offensive remarks" towards him and his assistants after the final whistle. "Such comments were made in a context of intense anger related to the loss, but nonetheless represent a serious breach of the standards of respect and fair play as well as the disciplinary regulations," noted the official. Two matches of the respective suspensions for Akapo and Miranda have been suspended for a term of one calendar year. Immediate Impact Both players will now miss their team's final group match against their next opponents on midweek. In a related development, the country's football federation has been fined a amount of $10,000 after its technical staff and players engaged in "persistent and abusive protests" against calls by the officials. The match report detailed there was "a steady decline in conduct on the touchline" following an own goal by Equatorial Guinea defender Saul Coco in the 74th minute. Further Disciplinary Action In another incident, the continental body have also penalized Stallions skipper Bertrand Traore the sum of $10,000 for "offensive comments" made in a post-game media appearance after his side's 1-0 loss to Angola.