National Thunder Pair Issued Multi-Game Ban for Official Abuse at Afcon.
The team captain will be absent for his nation's last group fixture at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The National Thunder skipper Carlos Akapo and fellow squad member Josete Miranda have both been banned for four matches for abusing the match official following their 1-0 defeat by their opponents at the 2025 Afcon.
The ruling was made by a disciplinary panel after it examined the referee's report from the tournament encounter on Sunday, a loss that confirmed the side's elimination from the competition.
The official reported that the two players "repeatedly uttered insulting and offensive comments" towards him and his linesmen after the final whistle.
"These remarks were made in a atmosphere of intense frustration related to the defeat, but nonetheless constitute a grave violation of the principles of respect and conduct as well as the disciplinary regulations," added the referee.
A portion of the respective suspensions for Akapo and Miranda have been suspended for a period of one calendar year.
Immediate Consequences
Both players will now miss their team's last group match against their next opponents on midweek.
Meanwhile, the country's football federation has been fined a sum of ten thousand dollars after its technical staff and squad members engaged in "persistent and aggressive complaints" against calls by the refereeing team.
The official documentation detailed there was "a progressive deterioration in conduct on the sidelines" following an own goal by Equatorial Guinea defender Saul Coco in the 74th minute.
Additional Governing Body Action
Elsewhere, the continental body have additionally fined Stallions skipper Bertrand Traore the amount of ten thousand dollars for "inflammatory comments" uttered in a post-match interview following his side's defeat to Angola.
