National Thunder Duo Handed Four-Match Ban for Referee Abuse at Africa Cup of Nations.

Equatorial Guinea captain Carlos Akapo and fellow squad member Josete Miranda have each been banned for four games for abusing the match official after their 1-0 defeat by Sudan at the 2025 Afcon.

The ruling was made by a governing body committee after it examined the referee's report from the Group E encounter on the weekend, a loss that confirmed the side's elimination from the tournament.

The referee reported that the two players "repeatedly uttered insulting and offensive comments" towards him and his linesmen following the full-time whistle.

"These remarks were delivered in a atmosphere of intense anger stemming from the loss, but nevertheless constitute a serious breach of the standards of respect and fair play as well as the disciplinary regulations," noted the official.

A portion of the individual suspensions for Akapo and Miranda have been suspended for a term of one calendar year.

Tournament Impact

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

Meanwhile, the country's football federation has been penalized a amount of $10,000 after its coaching team and players engaged in "excessive and abusive protests" against calls by the refereeing team.

The match report detailed there was "a steady deterioration in behaviour on the touchline" following an unfortunate deflection by defender Saul Coco in the 74th minute.

Further Governing Body Measures

Elsewhere, the continental body have additionally penalized Stallions skipper Bertrand Traore the sum of $10,000 for "inflammatory remarks" uttered in a post-game interview after his side's defeat to Angola.