Equatorial Guinea pair banned for abusing referee at Afcon

Equatorial Guinea players, Emilio Nsue and Javier Balboa, have been banned for 10 and 6 games respectively for verbally abusing the referee during their team’s match against Tunisia at the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

The incident occurred during the quarter-final match between Equatorial Guinea and Tunisia, where the referee awarded a controversial penalty to Tunisia in the closing minutes of the game.

Both players were seen arguing and gesturing towards the referee, which led to their immediate expulsion from the match.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) disciplinary committee reviewed the incident and handed down the suspensions as a result of the players’ misconduct.

This decision has sparked controversy among fans and experts, with some calling for harsher penalties to be imposed on players who show disrespect towards match officials.

Equatorial Guinea’s football federation has expressed disappointment at the bans, but has stated that they will respect the decision made by CAF.

Nsue and Balboa have both apologized for their actions and have acknowledged that they let their emotions get the better of them in the heat of the moment.

The bans will see the players miss several important matches for their national team, including upcoming qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup.

It serves as a reminder to players of the importance of maintaining respect towards referees and upholding the values of fair play in the game of football.