The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has absolved Nigeria and all Super Eagles players of any misconduct during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Super Eagles showcased their prowess at the AFCON, participating in seven matches, securing victories in five, drawing one, and suffering a solitary defeat.
Nigeria maintained an unbeaten run throughout their first six matches, only falling short in a 2-1 loss against host nation Cote d’Ivoire in the final. However, CAF’s investigations yielded no evidence of any wrongdoing on the part of Nigeria and the Super Eagles players.
In contrast, AFCON champions Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, and the 2021 titleholders Senegal faced disciplinary action from the CAF Disciplinary Board. The Board convened to address various issues and subsequently levied sanctions against Mali and Cote d’Ivoire, particularly concerning their knockout round encounter on February 3rd.
The Malian Football Federation was charged with misconduct due to unsporting behavior exhibited by its players towards the match official. Hamari Traore, in particular, was found guilty of unsporting conduct and received a four-match suspension, with two matches suspended for one year. Additionally, the Malian Football Federation incurred a fine of 10,000 US Dollars.