'What Was He Thinking?': Israel Player Sayed Abu Farchi Sent Off After Controversial Goal Celebration Against Austria | Video

Israel player Sayed Abu Farchi was sent off after celebrating his goal against Austria in the UEFA Nations League on Thursday. The forward had equalised early in the second half to make it 1-1 before his celebration resulted in a second yellow card and subsequent dismissal.

Abu Farchi ran towards the corner after scoring and pulled out the corner flag before dropping to one knee. He then rested the pole on the back of his left hand and made a firing gesture. According to reports, it was not immediately clear whether the gesture was meant to resemble a pool cue shot or a weapon.

Israel Player Sayed Abu Farchi Sent Off After Controversial Goal Celebration

The referee quickly intervened and showed the Colorado Rapids forward his second yellow card, just four minutes after his first booking. The decision reduced Israel to 10 players for the remainder of the match.

Austria had taken the lead through Romano Schmid's penalty before Abu Farchi restored parity for Israel. However, Austria capitalised after the dismissal, with Phillipp Mwene and Sasa Kalajdzic scoring in the final minutes to secure a 3-1 victory.

The unusual sequence turned Abu Farchi's equalising moment into one of the major talking points of the Nations League encounter. His dismissal came only minutes after scoring, while Austria eventually completed the comeback to claim all three points.