Iraqi star sent off for ‘inflammatory’ celebration against Jordan in chaotic Asian Cup game
The Asian Cup game between Iraq and Jordan ended in chaos on Monday after Aymen Hussein was sent off for a seemingly ‘inflammatory’ celebration following his country’s second goal. Hussein’s celebration mimicked Jordan’s earlier goal celebration. Although Iraq took the lead, Jordan scored two late goals to win 3-2, during which their matchwinner Nizar Al-Rashdan was also sent off for removing his shirt. Tempers flared at the post-match press conference, causing Iraqi journalists to walk out and shout at head coach Casas before security and officials stepped in.
The first half of the game was even, with neither side breaking the deadlock. In the 68th minute, Iraq drew level with a goal from Saad Natiq, and then took the lead through Hussein eight minutes later. However, Hussein was shown a second yellow card for mimicking Jordan’s celebration, leaving Iraq with 10 players. This incident affected the team’s performance, and they were unable to repel a late fightback from Jordan, who equalized in injury time and then scored the winner in the 97th minute.
Head coach Casas expressed his frustration at the timing of Hussein’s red card, especially after all their substitutions had been used. He highlighted the referee’s failure to take action against Jordanian players for their celebration in the first half. Iraq had made it to the last 16 of the Asian Cup by winning all their group matches, while Jordan progressed to the knockout stages despite finishing third in their group. As a result of the chaos, Jordan is set to face Tajikistan in the quarter-finals, while Iraq’s Asian Cup journey comes to an end.
