Two Equatorial Guinea players have been banned for insulting a referee at the Africa Cup of Nations and Burkina Faso captain Bertrand Traore was fined for post-match remarks, the respective football federations said on Wednesday.

Equatorial Guinea captain Carlos Akakpo and midfielder Josete Miranda have each been banned for four games for swearing at referee Messie Nkounou of Congo after their 1-0 loss to Sudan in Casablanca on Sunday, which left them bottom of Group E. Two of the matches have been suspended for a period of one year, the federation said.

The suspensions begin on Wednesday when Equatorial Guinea face Algeria in their last group match in Rabat.

Traore, who plays for Sunderland, was fined $10,000 for “offensive remarks” he made in an interview after Algeria’s 1-0 win over Burkina Faso in Rabat on Sunday.

“It’s a shame, we lost 1-0 to a penalty. I think there was a penalty on me in the very first action of the match,” Traore said. “The referees are ruining the game. And then, at the end, the referee (swear word) me.”

Traore expressed regret after being charged by the Confederation of African Football, the Burkinabe federation said.

-Reuters

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By Kunle Solaja.

Towering striker Paul Onuachu may not rank among Nigeria’s most prolific forwards by sheer numbers, but when he scores, history often follows.

In Nigeria’s Group C Africa Cup of Nations clash against Uganda national football team on Tuesday evening in Fes, Onuachu rose to meet the moment — and the ball.

His goal was more than just a contribution in a crucial group match. It was his first-ever Africa Cup of Nations goal, and more significantly, it became Nigeria’s 150th goal in the history of the competition.

For a player who has scored just four goals in 27 appearances for the Nigeria national footballteam, the strike carried a familiar Onuachu signature: timing, consequence, and quiet drama.

Onuachu’s goals for Nigeria have developed a pattern — they arrive when they matter most.

Four years ago, his second international goal came deep into added time against Benin in an AFCON qualifier. That late header sealed a 1–0 victory that did far more than deliver three points. It ended Nigeria’s 497-day winless run, extended the Super Eagles’ unbeaten streak against Benin to 21 matches, and inflicted the Benin Republic’s first home defeat since June 2013.

The timing was ruthless. Scored just seconds before the end of three minutes of added time, it denied Benin a place in the AFCON group stage and stood as one of the latest goals Nigeria have scored in recent international history.

That sense of dramatic punctuality was present again in Fes. Uganda resisted for long spells, but when the opening came, Onuachu — built more like a basketball power forward than a classic striker — provided the decisive touch.

Speed, Shock and a Record in Asaba

Ironically, the man known for aerial dominance also owns one of the fastest goals in Nigerian football history.

On 26 March 2019, in a friendly match in Asaba, Onuachu stunned Egypt just eight seconds after kick-off. Fans had barely settled into their seats when he unleashed a thunderous strike that decided the match.

The goal ended Nigeria’s 29-year wait for a victory over Egypt and placed Onuachu in the global record books. His strike was recognised as the second-fastest goal in international football, surpassed only by Lukas Podolski, who scored after six seconds for Germany against Ecuador in 2013.

More Than Numbers

Onuachu may never dominate Nigeria’s all-time scoring charts, but his goals continue to carry weight far beyond statistics. From record-breaking speed to last-gasp heartbreakers, and now a landmark AFCON strike against Uganda, each finish seems stitched into a larger story.

In Fes, his name joined a significant chapter of Nigerian football history — not just as a scorer, but as the man whose boot delivered Nigeria’s 150th Africa Cup of Nations goal. For Paul Onuachu, that is becoming something of a trademark.

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Gael Kakuta scored two goals and laid on another as the Democratic Republic of Congo defeated Botswana 3-0 in their Africa Cup of Nations Group D clash in Rabat on Tuesday, and in doing so set up a last 16 clash with Algeria on January 6.

The Congolese finished level on seven points with Senegal at the top of the standings, but their inferior goal difference means they have to settle for second place in the pool and a meeting with the in-form 2019 winners in the knockout round.

Nathanael Mbuku scored the game’s opener, set up by Kakuta’s backheel pass, before the latter netted a penalty and then a third for his side from close range in a comfortable win.

Botswana were already eliminated from the tournament heading into the match and has now lost all six of their Cup of Nations matches following their second appearance at the continental finals.

DR Congo took the lead on the half-hour mark when Mbuku played a neat one-two with Kakuta, the latter returning the ball with a clever backheel, before Mbuku slotted the ball in at the near post.

The Congolese were then awarded a penalty when Botswana defender Thabo Leinanyane handled the ball from Meschack Elia’s cross, and Kakuta converted the spot-kick.

Kakuta netted his second goal in the 60th minute as he controlled Theo Bongonda’s pass and, under no pressure from the Botswana defence, finished from seven yards.

Congo had the ball in the back of the net again when Fiston Mayele rose to deflect the ball in, but a Video Assistant Referee review suggested he used his arm to direct the ball into the net.

-Reuter

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