Equatorial Guinea Duo Handed Four-Match Ban for Referee Abuse at Africa Cup of Nations.

Equatorial Guinea captain Carlos Akapo and teammate Josete Miranda have both been banned for four games for abusing the match official after their narrow loss by Sudan at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The ruling was made by a disciplinary panel after it reviewed 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 stated that the two players "continually directed insulting and offensive comments" towards him and his linesmen following the full-time whistle.

"Such comments were made in a context of intense anger stemming from the defeat, but nevertheless constitute a grave breach of the standards of respect and fair play as well as the disciplinary regulations," noted the official.

A portion of the respective suspensions for Akapo and Miranda have been suspended for a period of one year.

Immediate Impact

Both players will now miss their nation's last group match against their next opponents on Wednesday.

In a related development, the nation's governing body has been fined a amount of $10,000 after its technical staff and squad members engaged in "excessive and aggressive complaints" against calls by the officials.

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

Additional Governing Body Measures

In another incident, the tournament organizers have also fined Burkina Faso captain Bertrand Traore the sum of $10,000 for "inflammatory remarks" made in a post-game interview following his team's defeat to their Group E rivals.