National Thunder Pair Issued Four-Match Ban for Referee Verbal Assault at Africa Cup of Nations.
Carlos Akapo will be absent for his nation's final tournament game at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The National Thunder skipper Carlos Akapo and fellow squad member Josete Miranda have each been suspended for four matches for abusing the referee following their narrow loss by Sudan at the 2025 Afcon.
The ruling was made by a disciplinary panel after it reviewed the official's match report from the Group E encounter on Sunday, a loss that confirmed the team's exit from the competition.
The referee reported that the two players "continually directed abusive and offensive remarks" towards him and his assistants following the final whistle.
"Such comments were made in a context of intense anger stemming from the loss, but nevertheless represent a serious breach of the principles of respect and conduct 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 year.
Immediate Impact
Both players will now miss their nation's final tournament fixture against Algeria on midweek.
In a related development, the nation's governing body has been penalized a amount of $10,000 after its technical staff and squad members engaged in "excessive and abusive complaints" against decisions by the refereeing team.
The official documentation detailed there was "a steady decline in behaviour on the sidelines" following an unfortunate deflection by Equatorial Guinea defender Saul Coco in the second half.
Further Disciplinary Measures
Elsewhere, the tournament organizers have also fined Stallions skipper Bertrand Traore the sum of $10,000 for "inflammatory comments" uttered in a post-game media appearance after his side's defeat to their Group E rivals.
