Burkina Faso captain Bertrand Traoré has been fined $10,000 by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for offensive remarks made against Ghanaian referee Daniel Laryea following the Stallions’ 1-0 defeat to Algeria in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Sunderland forward appeared before CAF’s disciplinary committee, where his post-match comments were deemed to breach conduct standards expected of a national team captain during a major tournament.
Traoré had publicly criticised Laryea’s handling of key decisions in the Group E match, including a first-half penalty awarded to Algeria and an early incident he believed should have been reviewed by VAR.
In his immediate post-match reaction, Traoré stated, “I think there was a penalty on me in the first action of the match. The referee didn’t even check VAR.”
During the disciplinary hearing, the Burkina Faso skipper took a conciliatory approach, offering an apology and expressing regret for his remarks. He explained that his frustration stemmed from the heat of the moment and emphasised that he had no intention of disrespecting CAF or match officials.
As a result, the sanction was limited to the monetary fine, with no additional sporting penalties such as a suspension imposed, allowing Traoré to continue participating in the tournament without restriction.
The Burkina Faso Football Federation (FBF) has accepted the decision, confirming that the $10,000 fine constitutes the full extent of the punishment.