🔗 Share this article National Thunder Pair Issued Four-Match Suspension for Official Verbal Assault at Africa Cup of Nations. The team captain will miss his side's final group game at Afcon 2025. The National Thunder captain Carlos Akapo and teammate Josete Miranda have both 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 handed down by a disciplinary panel after it reviewed the official's match report from the tournament encounter on Sunday, a loss that sealed the team's elimination from the tournament. The referee reported that the two players "continually uttered insulting and obscene remarks" towards him and his assistants following the full-time whistle. "These remarks were made in a atmosphere of extreme anger related to the defeat, but nonetheless constitute a serious breach of the standards of respect and conduct as well as the governing rules," noted the official. A portion of the individual suspensions for Akapo and Miranda have been deferred for a period of one year. Immediate Impact Both players will be unavailable for their nation's final tournament fixture against their next opponents on midweek. Meanwhile, the country's football federation has been penalized a amount of ten thousand dollars after its technical staff and players engaged in "persistent and abusive complaints" against decisions by the officials. The official documentation detailed there was "a steady deterioration in behaviour on the touchline" following an unfortunate deflection by Equatorial Guinea defender Saul Coco in the second half. Additional Governing Body Measures Elsewhere, the tournament organizers have also fined Stallions skipper Bertrand Traore the sum of $10,000 for "offensive remarks" made in a post-match media appearance following his team's 1-0 loss to Angola.
The team captain will miss his side's final group game at Afcon 2025. The National Thunder captain Carlos Akapo and teammate Josete Miranda have both 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 handed down by a disciplinary panel after it reviewed the official's match report from the tournament encounter on Sunday, a loss that sealed the team's elimination from the tournament. The referee reported that the two players "continually uttered insulting and obscene remarks" towards him and his assistants following the full-time whistle. "These remarks were made in a atmosphere of extreme anger related to the defeat, but nonetheless constitute a serious breach of the standards of respect and conduct as well as the governing rules," noted the official. A portion of the individual suspensions for Akapo and Miranda have been deferred for a period of one year. Immediate Impact Both players will be unavailable for their nation's final tournament fixture against their next opponents on midweek. Meanwhile, the country's football federation has been penalized a amount of ten thousand dollars after its technical staff and players engaged in "persistent and abusive complaints" against decisions by the officials. The official documentation detailed there was "a steady deterioration in behaviour on the touchline" following an unfortunate deflection by Equatorial Guinea defender Saul Coco in the second half. Additional Governing Body Measures Elsewhere, the tournament organizers have also fined Stallions skipper Bertrand Traore the sum of $10,000 for "offensive remarks" made in a post-match media appearance following his team's 1-0 loss to Angola.