Abu Farkhi sent off for mimicking firearm during Israel vs Austria match

Rapid Turning Point in Linz

The sequence that altered the match unfolded swiftly early in the second half. Farkhi, who plays his club football for Major League Soccer side Colorado Rapids, picked up his first yellow card in the 52nd minute. Just three minutes later, he broke through to score and pull Israel level at 1-1.

Instead of a standard celebration, Farkhi ran to the corner flag, pulled the post from the ground, and held it like a rifle while simulating shooting motions. Referee Kabakov immediately issued a second yellow card, resulting in an automatic red and expulsion. According to reports from French outlet L’Équipe and coverage by Esporte News Mundo, Farkhi and several of his teammates protested the decision on the pitch, but the referee maintained his ruling.

Austria Capitalizes Late

Despite playing a man down for more than half an hour, Israel managed to frustrate the hosts and preserve the 1-1 scoreline well into the closing stages. However, the numerical disadvantage eventually took a toll as the Austrian side applied sustained pressure in the final minutes.

Austria capitalized on their man advantage with two late goals to seal a 3-1 victory, with Romano Schmid, Phillipp Mwene, and Sasa Kalajdzic supplying the scoring for the home side. The result hands Austria a winning start in the competition group.

Next Fixtures and Standing Implications

The suspension leaves Israel head coach with a forced personnel change for their next outing. Farkhi will serve an automatic one-match ban and miss Israel’s upcoming fixture against the Republic of Ireland on Sunday, September 27, 2026, scheduled for 3:45 PM local time in Brasília. Meanwhile, Austria will host Kosovo on the same day at 1:00 PM Brasília time in a clash carrying early group-leadership implications.