Overview
- The incident occurred on Thursday, September 24, when 20-year-old Saied Abu Farchi scored for Israel and then took the corner flag and used it in a celebration that many viewers read as miming a firearm.
- Referee Georgi Kabakov showed Abu Farchi a second yellow card for the celebration because he had already been booked earlier in the match, and the second yellow automatically became a red, leaving Israel with ten men.
- Playing a man down contributed to Austria overturning the score late and winning 3-1 at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz.
- Coverage has focused on disputed intent, with some observers saying the gesture looked like firing a gun and others saying it resembled a billiard‑cue motion, while rulebooks state removing or disrespecting the flag can be sanctioned with a yellow card.
- No further disciplinary action beyond the in‑game booking and sending off has been reported so far, and the episode has intensified public sensitivity to weapon‑like gestures given the ongoing violence in Gaza.