Colorado Rapids forward Sayed Abu Farchi lived every striker’s dream and nightmare in the space of one minute during Israel’s Nations League clash with Austria on Thursday night.
The 20-year-old, making only his second appearance for the senior national team, headed home in the 55th minute at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz to cancel out Romano Schmid’s first-half penalty. It was his first-ever goal for Israel and had brought the score to 1-1.
The joy was short-lived. Farchi sprinted to the corner, pulled the flag from the ground, dropped to one knee and mimicked a shooting action with the pole in his hands. The gesture immediately caught the attention of Bulgarian referee Georgi Kabakov, who had already cautioned him four minutes earlier for a foul.
Kabakov did not hesitate. He produced a second yellow card for the provocative celebration, which automatically became a red. Under the Laws of the Game, celebrations that are considered provocative or inflammatory can be punished, and removing the corner flag is also an offence. Farchi looked stunned as he left the pitch.
Reduced to ten men, Israel could not hold on. Austria took full advantage late on, with Phillipp Mwene restoring their lead in the 90th minute before Sasa Kalajdzic added a third in stoppage time to seal a 3-1 win. What should have been a career milestone for Farchi ended up as the turning point in a painful defeat.
From Hero to Villain in 60 Seconds: Israeli Striker Scores First Goal and Sees Red
