strange! The player is sent off before the match starts

Iker Guarroxena received a red card for irregular equipment, was substituted without prejudice to Goa and saw the team advance to the final.

An unusual episode that characterized Indian football. During the match between Goa and Mumbai City FC on Thursday (4), which was valid for the semi-final of the Indian Super Cup, the Goa captain was sent off before the start of the match.

Before the two teams took to the field, Spaniard Iker Guarroxena received a red card for using irregular equipment. Despite the initial surprise, the club was able to overcome the situation. After some protests, the coach removed the player from the squad and put another athlete in his place.

- Play video - Caption: Iker Guarroxena (in orange), Goa captain, was sent off moments before entering the field — – Play video – Caption: Iker Guarroxena (in orange), Goa captain, was sent off moments before entering the field

Photo: Jogada10

Watch the video:

In India, Goa captain Gwaroxena received a red card before kick-off in the Super Cup semi-final for wearing the wrong color of underwear. pic.twitter.com/w5740lbIQn

– Total Football (@TotalFootbol) December 5, 2025

The substitution was possible because, according to the rule, when a sending off occurs before the starting whistle, the team has the right to substitute the punished player directly. This way, you won’t miss any of the regulation substitutions and won’t need to start the match with one player down.

Thanks to this rule, Goa avoided a bigger loss and later beat Mumbai City 2-1, securing a place in the Super Cup final.

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