The Cameroon defender will miss Sunday's final with Egypt after being sent off in the last minute of his nation's 1-0 win over hosts Ghana for pushing over a medic who was on the pitch to treat Rigobert Song.

It was an incident that ended up being talked about all over the world but Coppell, Bikey's club boss at Reading, was certain it was no mere moment of madness.

He said: "He is not stupid. Something must have happened to spark it, for him to charge over there and do what he did given what was at stake and what he is now going to be missing out on.

"It is the ultimate punishment and I can only imagine it was not on the spur of the moment. Something happened.

"He will be in pain. He will be in emotional turmoil after that. To have played in all the games, and played well in them, and miss final, will hurt."

Club-mate Ibrahima Sonko, who had returned early from the competition after Senegal were eliminated at the group stages, also backed Bikey.

He said: "I tried to call him but I couldn't get hold of him. He over-reacted but he had been pushed first. Bikey was just trying to protect this old man who was there to help Song."