Two Antigua and Barbuda players were sent off during a Concacaf Nations League match against Anguilla for pulling the dreadlocks of opposing forward Aedan Scipio.
The first dismissal came shortly after Scipio was introduced from the bench in the 69th minute, with Anguilla already 5-0 down at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. Three minutes after his introduction, Antigua and Barbuda’s Keon Greene was shown a straight red card for tugging at the 36-year-old’s hair.
The hair-pulling did not end there. In added time, Antigua and Barbuda were reduced to nine men when Shalon Knight pulled Scipio’s dreadlocks from behind and took the forward off his feet, earning a second red card for the home side.
Scipio’s hair is a distinctive part of his appearance on the pitch: it reaches down to his ankles, and is long enough that he wears a band around his waist to keep it tied against his body. On this occasion, that feature became central to the game’s key moments.
The result leaves Anguilla, who sit 210th in Fifa’s international rankings, with only San Marino ranked below them in world football.