Israel Forward Sent Off After Simulating Rifle Shot with Corner Flag

Overview

• The sequence began when Sayed Abu Farchi received a first yellow card around the 52nd minute, scored three minutes later to make it 1-1, then used the corner flag to mimic firing a rifle and was shown a second yellow by referee Georgi Kabakov and sent off.
• Reduced to ten players, Israel conceded two late goals by Phillipp Mwene and Sasa Kalajdzic as Austria secured a 3-1 win in the Group 3 opening match.
• The expelled player is 20-year-old Sayed Abu Farchi, also reported as Abu Farkhi, who came through Maccabi Tel Aviv and moved to Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids earlier in September.
• The only immediate disciplinary action recorded was the on-field second yellow and automatic red; reports so far do not detail any post-match bans or official statements from team or tournament authorities.
• Media coverage has flagged the gesture’s political sensitivity because of the ongoing Israel–Gaza conflict and recent protests at the UN, which could increase scrutiny of any further disciplinary or public responses.