National Thunder Duo Handed Four-Match Suspension for Official Verbal Assault at Afcon.
Carlos Akapo will be absent for his side's final group fixture at Afcon 2025.
The National Thunder skipper Carlos Akapo and fellow squad member Josete Miranda have each been suspended for four games for verbally attacking the match official after their 1-0 defeat by Sudan at the 2025 Afcon.
The ruling was made by a disciplinary panel after it examined the referee's report from the Group E encounter on the weekend, a result that confirmed the side's elimination from the competition.
The referee stated that the two players "continually uttered insulting and obscene comments" towards him and his linesmen after the full-time whistle.
"Such comments were made in a atmosphere of extreme anger stemming from the loss, but nonetheless constitute a serious breach of the standards of respect and conduct as well as the governing rules," added the referee.
Two matches of the respective bans for Akapo and Miranda have been deferred for a period of one calendar year.
Tournament Consequences
The duo will be unavailable for their nation's final tournament fixture against their next opponents on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the country's football federation has been fined a amount of ten thousand dollars after its technical staff and players engaged in "persistent and aggressive complaints" against decisions by the refereeing team.
The official documentation detailed there was "a steady deterioration in conduct on the sidelines" following an own goal by Equatorial Guinea defender Saul Coco in the 74th minute.
Further Disciplinary Measures
Elsewhere, the continental body have additionally fined Stallions skipper Bertrand Traore the amount of ten thousand dollars for "offensive remarks" made in a post-match media appearance after his team's 1-0 loss to their Group E rivals.
