The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has handed down significant disciplinary sanctions following controversial incidents during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Equatorial Guinea’s captain Carlos Akapo and teammate Josete Miranda have each received four-match suspensions for verbally abusing match officials after their team’s 1-0 defeat to Sudan in Group E.
The disciplinary measures stem from a CAF panel’s review of referee Messie Jessie Nkounkou Mvoutou’s report detailing the post-match confrontation. The Congolese official documented that both players “repeatedly uttered insulting and obscene remarks” toward him and his assistant referees immediately following the final whistle. The incident occurred in a context of “intense anger related to the defeat” but was deemed a “serious breach of the principles of respect and fair play.”
In a partial reprieve, two matches of each player’s suspension have been deferred for one year, meaning they will serve immediate two-match bans. Both athletes already missed Equatorial Guinea’s final group match against Algeria, which ended in a 3-1 defeat that eliminated the National Thunder from the tournament.
Additionally, the Equatorial Guinea Football Federation (Feguifut) has been fined $10,000 for the conduct of its technical staff and players, who engaged in “excessive and abusive protests” against officiating decisions. According to Mvoutou’s report, team behavior progressively deteriorated after defender Saul Coco scored an own goal in the 74th minute.
In separate disciplinary action, Burkina Faso captain Bertrand Traoré has been fined $10,000 for making “offensive remarks” during a post-match interview following his team’s 1-0 loss to Angola in Group E. These sanctions highlight CAF’s strengthened commitment to enforcing disciplinary standards during Africa’s premier football competition.