National Thunder Pair Issued Four-Match Ban for Referee Abuse at Africa Cup of Nations.

Equatorial Guinea captain Carlos Akapo and teammate Josete Miranda have both been suspended for four matches for abusing the referee following their 1-0 defeat by their opponents at the 2025 Afcon.

The decision was handed down by a governing body committee after it reviewed the official's match report from the tournament clash on Sunday, a loss that sealed the team's elimination from the competition.

The official reported that the two players "repeatedly uttered insulting and obscene 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 serious breach of the principles of sportsmanship and fair play as well as the governing rules," noted the official.

A portion of the individual suspensions for the two players have been deferred for a period of one calendar year.

Tournament Consequences

Both players will be unavailable for their team's last tournament fixture against Algeria on Wednesday.

In a related development, the nation's football federation has been penalized a sum of $10,000 after its technical staff and players engaged in "persistent and aggressive complaints" against decisions by the refereeing team.

The official documentation indicated there was "a progressive deterioration in conduct on the sidelines" following an unfortunate deflection by defender Saul Coco in the second half.

Further Disciplinary Measures

In another incident, the continental body have additionally penalized Burkina Faso captain Bertrand Traore the sum of $10,000 for "inflammatory remarks" made in a post-game interview following his side's defeat to their Group E rivals.