England’s Lionesses star, Lauren James, received a straight red card after a contentious incident involving Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie during the ongoing World Cup in Australia.
James, who had been a standout performer for England in the tournament, allowed her frustrations to get the better of her as the match approached extra time with the score tied at 0-0.
Alozie went down following a collision with James, and while the Nigeria star lay on the ground, James, in a moment of frustration, stepped on her opponent’s back with her studs as she got up.
Initially, the referee showed James a yellow card for the incident, but upon a VAR review, she changed her decision and sent James off the field with a straight red card.
With England now reduced to 10 players, they face the challenge of holding on during extra time against Nigeria.
Fans and spectators were left stunned by James’ needless actions, especially considering that it is her first-ever World Cup appearance.
Despite her stellar performances throughout the tournament, this incident may have serious consequences for both James and her team’s prospects in the competition.
The rules for the World Cup state: “If players or team officials are sent off as a result of a direct or indirect red card, they will automatically be suspended from their team’s subsequent match. In addition, further sanctions may be imposed by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.”
Lauren James premature exit, in what can only be described as a drastic loss of control, gave Nigeria hope of becoming the first African team to win a knockout game at a Women’s World Cup, in what would be a huge upset.
Watch the video below:
https://twitter.com/iam_harryberry/status/1688479592716115968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1688479592716115968%7Ctwgr%5E11a33ba96d3764cc2a4aa394200e07d0b5b7e71c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gistreel.com%2F%3Fp%3D951613
https://twitter.com/brfootball/status/1688479946220429312?s=20
https://twitter.com/hayfloze/status/1688482095881179136?s=20
https://twitter.com/SuZeSport/status/1688479933163556864?s=20
KanyiDaily had also reported how the Super Falcons of Nigeria humbled Australia 3-2 in a Group B game at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.