(Reuters) – Mali’s Hamari Traore and Senegal’s Krepin Diatta have both received two-match suspensions following their heated reactions to their respective exits at the Africa Cup of Nations at the hands of Ivory Coast.
Senegal was defeated by Ivory Coast on penalties in the last 16, with Diatta expressing frustration over what he believed were incorrect calls from the match officials. He was found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute and was also fined $10,000 after describing the Confederation of African Football as “corrupt.”
Ivory Coast went on to defeat Mali 2-1 after extra time in the quarter-finals, prompting Traore to confront Egyptian referee Mohamed Adel. Traore had to be led away by his teammates after a scuffle and was found guilty of unsporting conduct.
Both players were banned for four games, half of which are suspended for 12 months.
In addition, Mali’s football federation received a $10,000 fine, while the Senegalese and Ivorian federations were fined $5,000 each.
The next competitive fixtures for Senegal and Mali are a pair of 2026 World Cup qualifiers taking place in June.
(Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Ken Ferris)
