Portsmouth ace Kusini Yengi sees red in surprise Australia defeat
Portsmouth striker Kusini Yengi was shown a straight red card for Australia on Thursday(5 September) in a shock defeat to Bahrain on the Gold Coast.
As explained by the official national team account on X [5 September], the 25-year-old was dismissed for a high foot with 13 minutes remaining of the contest having started the game. Fellow Pompey man Sammy Silvera was an unused substitute.
The 1-0 loss, courtesy of a late own goal from Sheffield United defender Harry Souttar, gives a poor start to the Socceroos’ World Cup qualifying campaign, in a group that contains tougher tests to come such as Japan.
Yengi will now be suspended for the team’s trip to Jakarta to face Indonesia on Tuesday.
Portsmouth man sent off for Australia
Yengi will be as gutted as anyone of an Aussie persuasion after a defeat that ends a run of four games between the two nations where the Socceroos have won without conceding.
It is only the second red card of his career, his only previous dismissal coming for his nation’s U23 side against Iraq in 2022 – he has never been sent off in his senior club career.
The striker had been on a good run of momentum in green and gold, having scored four goals in eight caps heading into the Group C opener, but will now miss out on making it double figures in full caps until at least the next international break through suspension.
Silvera, another Blues man out on the East Coast of Australia, was left among the subs by Graham Arnold as the team tried and failed to find the net, eventually doing so at the wrong end.
Amends will have to be made against Indonesia, with the on-loan Pompey winger keen to contribute.
In other Portsmouth news, a devastating injury blow as the club rally in support.
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