Abu Farhi scored for Israel and was immediately sent off with a red card for simulating a gunshot

In a UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group stage match held in Linz, the Austrian national team defeated Israel 3-1. The central event of the match, however, was not so much the final score as the episode involving 20-year-old Israeli striker Said Abu Farhi, who plays for the American club Colorado Rapids. The player scored an important goal to equalize, but his provocative celebration instantly turned into a sending-off.

Match progression in Linz

The home side opened the scoring through a penalty converted by Romano Schmid. The Israeli team, however, did not give up and restored parity in the 55th minute: following a corner kick, Abu Farhi struck powerfully with his head and sent the ball into the net. At that point he already had a yellow card, which predetermined the subsequent course of events.

Provocative celebration and instant sending-off

Immediately after scoring, Abu Farhi ran to the corner flag, grabbed it in his hands, and performed a gesture imitating the firing of a weapon. The referee, taking into account that the player already had a booking, showed a second yellow card without hesitation, which automatically turned into a red one. Such a celebration was no novelty for the 20-year-old striker: he had previously displayed a similar gesture while playing for Tel Aviv's Maccabi. Under the current UEFA rules, celebrations of a provocative or inciting nature are punished with a booking, and in the presence of a previous card — with a sending-off.

Match outcome and consequences for Abu Farhi

Forced to play with ten men, the Israelis held on until the final minutes, but in the 90th minute Philipp Mwene restored Austria's lead, and in stoppage time Sasha Kalajdzic set the final score — 3-1. Due to the suspension he received, Abu Farhi will miss his team's next Nations League match against Ireland, which will take place on September 27 in Debrecen, Hungary.

Political backdrop ahead of the match with Ireland

The game in Debrecen is set to become not only a sporting but also a political event. On the eve of the match, the Irish national team coach Heimir Hallgrímsson stated that his team "plays against genocide" and "against Israel, not together with it." The Israeli Football Association responded by criticizing the Irish specialist's remarks, calling them "stupidity, ignorance, and hypocrisy." Thus, the September 27 match will take place against the backdrop of a sharp public dispute between the parties.

Nations League 2026/27 group stage

In the current Nations League campaign, the Israeli national team is competing in Group 3 of League B. Alongside Austria and Ireland, the quartet includes the Kosovo national team. The defeat in Linz was the Israeli team's first result in the group stage, and now it must redeem itself in the remaining matches, despite the loss of one of its young attacking players.