In an international night that moved quickly from a comeback moment to a dismissal, Israel forward Sayed Abu Farchi was sent off after scoring against Austria in the Nations League. His early second-half equaliser briefly brought the match level, but Austria recovered late to leave with a 3-1 win.
Key takeaways
- Abu Farchi made it 1-1 shortly after the restart.
- The Colorado Rapids attacker was dismissed for a second yellow card four minutes after his first booking.
- His celebration involved removing the corner flag and making a shooting-style gesture.
- Romano Schmid had put Austria ahead from the penalty spot.
- Phillipp Mwene and Saša Kalajdžić scored late goals to secure Austria’s victory.
A celebration brings an abrupt end
Abu Farchi’s goal gave Israel a route back into the contest after Austria’s first-half advantage. Schmid had opened the scoring from a penalty, but the equaliser at the beginning of the second period changed the atmosphere around the match.
The forward then ran to the corner, lifted the flag from its socket and placed his right knee on the turf. He rested the pole across the back of his left hand before performing a firing motion.
It was not immediately clear whether the gesture was intended to imitate a billiards shot or a weapon. The referee nevertheless reacted by producing a second yellow card, ending Abu Farchi’s evening only four minutes after his initial caution.
Austria find their late finish
With Israel reduced to 10 men, Austria eventually restored their control of the Nations League fixture. Mwene struck in the closing stages, before Kalajdžić added another late goal to complete a 3-1 result.
For Austria, the final score reflected a composed finish after the interruption of Israel’s equaliser. For Abu Farchi, a goal that had offered his side fresh hope became the defining incident of the night.
