- The former Fiorentina star thought his second yellow may have been rescinded
- But the referee came back on to the pitch after VAR to give him a straight red
- How do you replace a giant like Jurgen Klopp? It’s the end of an era… Mo Salah will move on, will they lose Virgil van Djik, too? It’s All Kicking Off
Man United midfielder Sofyan Amrabat was ‘sent off twice’ during Morroco’s shock AFCON loss to South Africa.
Morroco were one of the pre-tournament favourites, given their historic run at the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
However, South Arica’s Evidence Makgopa scored a brilliant opening goal in the 57th minute of the game
Morroco’s Achraf Hakimi then had the chance to equalise from the penalty spot, but agonisingly missed.
Teboho Mokoena ensured the win for South Africa with a 95th minute curling free-kick.
However, for former Fiorentina midfielder Amrabat, the night went from bad to worse after he was sent off for a second time.
Following a reckless challenge he made as the last defender for Morroco, the referee was quick to award a second yellow and red card to the player.
But, after a VAR check gave Amrabat some hope and his team belief they could steal an equaliser, the second yellow was upgraded to a straight red much to the dissapointment of the struggling Old Trafford star.
South Africa have now set up a tasty quarter-final clash with Cape Verde, who have been in excellent form so far.
Elsewhere on the night, Mali defeated Burkina Faso to put them into the quarter-final stage.
In the Asian Cup there was also drama as Roberto Mancini refused to watch the finale of Saudi Arabia’s penalty shoot-out against South Korea.
The former Italian manager was soon proved to be right for walking away as his side crashed out of the tournament on spot-kicks.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
