In the Caribbean heat of the Concacaf Nations League, Antigua and Barbuda completed a 5-0 home win over Anguilla that was remembered as much for two red cards as for the scoreline. Both dismissals came after Anguilla substitute Aedan Scipio, a midfielder known for his exceptionally long dreadlocks, was pulled down by his hair.
A five-goal first half in Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda, ranked 163rd by FIFA, had already put the contest beyond reach before the interval against an Anguilla side placed 210th among the federation’s 211 ranked national teams.
- Douglas opened the scoring in the first minute.
- Pereira doubled the advantage in the 16th minute.
- Douglas struck again five minutes later to make it 3-0.
- Bishop added a fourth in the 35th minute.
- George completed the first-half scoring in the 43rd minute.
There were no further goals after the break, even though Antigua and Barbuda ultimately finished with only nine players.
Scipio’s arrival changes the tone
Scipio came on from the Anguilla bench during the second half, with his team already trailing by five. His dreadlocks are long enough to require fastening behind his back while he plays, and they quickly became the focus of two ugly incidents.
- Three minutes after Scipio entered the match, he won possession from Keon Greene.
- Greene responded by tugging Scipio’s hair and was sent off, becoming Antigua and Barbuda’s first dismissed player.
- In stoppage time, Shalon Knight also brought Scipio down by pulling his hair.
- Knight received a red card, leaving the hosts with nine men for the closing moments.
Antigua and Barbuda protected their clean sheet despite the late numerical disadvantage, sealing a commanding Nations League result. Scipio, an Anguilla international midfielder who has received several call-ups for the national side, ended the evening at the centre of a match in which his distinctive hairstyle drew the wrong kind of attention.
