The team captain will miss his nation's final tournament fixture at Afcon 2025.
The National Thunder captain Carlos Akapo and fellow squad member Josete Miranda have each been suspended for four games for abusing the referee after their narrow loss by Sudan at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The ruling was handed down by a disciplinary panel after it reviewed the official's match report from the Group E encounter on Sunday, a result that confirmed the side's exit from the tournament.
The referee reported that the two players "continually directed insulting and offensive comments" towards him and his assistants following the full-time whistle.
"Such comments were made in a context of intense frustration related to the loss, but nevertheless constitute a serious violation of the principles of respect and conduct as well as the disciplinary regulations," added the official.
Two matches of the individual suspensions for Akapo and Miranda have been deferred for a term of one calendar year.
Tournament Consequences
The duo will now miss their nation's last group match against Algeria on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the country's governing body has been penalized a sum of $10,000 after its technical staff and squad members engaged in "persistent and abusive protests" against calls by the refereeing team.
The match report detailed there was "a progressive decline in behaviour on the touchline" after an own goal by defender Saul Coco in the 74th minute.
Additional Governing Body Measures
Elsewhere, the tournament organizers have additionally fined Burkina Faso captain Bertrand Traore the amount of ten thousand dollars for "inflammatory remarks" uttered in a post-match interview following his team's 1-0 loss to Angola.
