Equatorial Guinea Pair Handed Four-Match Suspension for Official Abuse at Africa Cup of Nations.

Equatorial Guinea skipper Carlos Akapo and fellow squad member Josete Miranda have each been suspended for four games for abusing the referee after their 1-0 defeat by their opponents at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The ruling was made by a disciplinary panel after it examined the official's match report from the tournament clash on Sunday, a result that sealed the side's elimination from the competition.

The official reported that the two footballers "continually directed abusive and offensive comments" towards him and his linesmen following the full-time whistle.

"These remarks were made in a atmosphere of intense anger related to the loss, but nevertheless constitute a serious breach of the principles of sportsmanship and fair play as well as the governing rules," added the official.

Two matches of the individual suspensions for Akapo and Miranda have been deferred for a term of one year.

Immediate Impact

Both players will now miss their nation's final tournament fixture against Algeria on Wednesday.

In a related development, the country's football federation has been penalized a amount of $10,000 after its technical staff and squad members engaged in "persistent and aggressive complaints" against decisions by the refereeing team.

The official documentation detailed there was "a progressive deterioration in conduct on the touchline" following an unfortunate deflection by defender Saul Coco in the second half.

Further Governing Body Measures

In another incident, the tournament organizers have also penalized Burkina Faso captain Bertrand Traore the sum of $10,000 for "inflammatory comments" made in a post-match media appearance following his team's 1-0 loss to Angola.