The reaction of N’Golo Kante on receiving only the second red card of his career garnered attention from fans during an Asian Champions League match between his team Al Ittihad and Al Hilal on Tuesday night.
The Red Card to N’Golo Kante
Al Ittihad found themselves trailing by two goals as Aleksandar Mitrovic and Salem Al Dawsari netted for Al Hilal. In the 66th minute, Kante was shown a red card following a VAR review, deeming his challenge as dangerous.
A video capturing Kante’s dejected departure from the pitch towards the tunnel circulated on social media, prompting sympathy from fans. One expressed feeling “really bad” for the midfielder, while another described the moment as “heartbreaking.”
Despite the dismissal, Kante received applause from the opposing team, signifying respect for the player even in defeat.
This incident marked only the second red card in Kante’s career, with his first occurring during the 2014/15 season while playing for French club Caen.
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No RC While Playing in the Premier League
Notably, the midfielder had never received a red card during his tenure with Leicester City and Chelsea in the Premier League, accumulating 31 yellow cards across 222 appearances.
After departing Chelsea last summer, Kante joined Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia, where he has since made an impact alongside fellow stars Karim Benzema and Fabinho.
In a recent Saudi Professional League match against Al Hilal, Kante displayed his scoring prowess with a diving header to open the scoring. However, Al Ittihad ultimately succumbed to a 3-1 defeat.
Presently, Al Ittihad occupies the seventh position in the Saudi Professional League standings, trailing leader Al Hilal by 25 points. Kante and his teammates are set to resume domestic action against Al Akhdoud at the King Abdullah Sports City on Friday night.