Ran Ben Shimon, the Israeli coach, explains: "Every time he scores a goal, he celebrates exactly like that. He has never received a yellow card for it. That's his way of celebrating goals."
What exact gesture Abu Farkhi performed – the scope for interpretation is wide, from a billiard shot to the use of a weapon – is unclear. "You have to ask him," says Ben Shimon.
He blames himself for not preventing Abu Farkhi from doing it, despite knowing about the goal celebration. "He does it all the time, it's my fault that I didn't stop him," says Ben Shimon.
Dismissal at the Worst Possible Time
The red card happened at "the worst moment in football: after a goal. You have confidence, while the other team might get stressed."
Overall, Israel "could have gotten much more out of the game," was Ben Shimon's bitter conclusion.
