By By Elizabeth Ugbo
Israel forward Saied Abu Farchi was sent off on Thursday, September 24, 2026, after a controversial goal celebration against Austria in Linz. The 20-year-old scored Israel’s equaliser before using the corner flag to mimic a gun, earning a second yellow card. Austria later won the UEFA Nations League match 3-1.
Abu Farchi Receives Red Card
Abu Farchi headed Israel level in the 55th minute after Austria took the lead. Romano Schmid had opened the scoring from the penalty spot before halftime.
The Colorado Rapids forward then ran towards the corner flag after scoring. He pulled the flag from the ground and made a firing gesture.
The referee had booked Abu Farchi four minutes earlier. He then showed him a second yellow card for the celebration.
The decision left Israel with 10 players for the remainder of the match.
Austria Seals Late Victory
Austria struggled to regain the lead after Israel equalised. However, Phillipp Mwene restored Austria’s advantage in the 90th minute.
Sasa Kalajdzic then scored in stoppage time to complete the 3-1 victory.
The result gave Austria a winning start to its Nations League campaign.
Ireland-Israel Matches Set for Neutral Venues
The incident came amid controversy surrounding Israel’s upcoming Nations League matches against the Republic of Ireland.
The two fixtures are scheduled to take place at neutral venues. The first match is due in Serbia on September 27.
The return fixture will take place in Hungary on October 4. UEFA moved the games because of security concerns.
Campaigners in Ireland have also called for a boycott of the matches against Israel.
The controversy follows the wider conflict in Gaza, which has increasingly affected discussions around Israel’s participation in international football.
Football Rules on Goal Celebrations
Football’s laws allow referees to caution players for certain goal celebrations.
Players can receive a yellow card for provocative, derisory or inflammatory gestures.
In Abu Farchi’s case, the referee issued a second yellow card after the celebration. The decision therefore resulted in his dismissal.
The incident has since drawn attention because of the gesture used during the celebration.
