National Thunder Duo Handed Multi-Game Ban for Referee Abuse at Afcon.
Carlos Akapo will be absent for his nation's final tournament fixture at Afcon 2025.
The National Thunder skipper Carlos Akapo and teammate Josete Miranda have both been banned for four matches for abusing the match official after their narrow loss by their opponents at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The decision was made by a disciplinary panel after it examined the official's match report from the tournament encounter on the weekend, a result that sealed the team's exit from the tournament.
The referee reported that the two footballers "repeatedly uttered abusive and offensive remarks" towards him and his linesmen after the final whistle.
"Such comments were made in a atmosphere of intense frustration stemming from the loss, but nonetheless constitute a serious breach of the standards of respect and fair play as well as the disciplinary regulations," added the referee.
A portion of the respective suspensions for Akapo and Miranda have been suspended for a term of one calendar year.
Immediate Impact
Both players will now miss their team's last tournament fixture against Algeria on midweek.
In a related development, the country's governing body has been fined a sum of $10,000 after its technical staff and squad members engaged in "persistent and aggressive complaints" against decisions by the refereeing team.
The match report detailed there was "a progressive decline in behaviour on the touchline" after an unfortunate deflection by defender Saul Coco in the 74th minute.
Further Disciplinary Action
In another incident, the tournament organizers have additionally fined Stallions skipper Bertrand Traore the amount of ten thousand dollars for "inflammatory comments" made in a post-match interview after his team's 1-0 loss to Angola.
