Derby County midfielder Tyrese Fornah saw his first international break away with Sierra Leone end poorly after he was given a red card.
He was dismissed in the 39th minute in the 2-0 defeat to Egypt, having picked up a first yellow card a minute earlier for a bad tackle, before being given a second yellow minute later for dissent.
Fornah only made his debut for his national side just a few days earlier, playing the full 90 minutes in the 0-0 draw away at Ethiopia.
Sierra Leone’s national team also features the likes of Queens Park Rangers right-back Osman Kakay, Cambridge United winger Sullay Kaikai, and Forest Green Rovers striker Amadou Bakayoko (who is currently on loan in Scotland with Dundee).
They now only have one point from their first two 2026 World Cup qualification matches.
It brings a disappointing end to his first trip away on international duty in his career.
Fornah’s red brings disappointing end to int’l break
It is good to see Fornah now getting minutes on the international stage, but disappointing to see it cut short in poor fashion.
It will certainly be a new experience for the 24-year-old, who has never represented a country before the game against Ethiopia on Wednesday night.
The defensive midfielder made the move to Pride Park in the summer from fierce rivals and Premier League side Nottingham Forest, signing a two-year deal.
So far this season for Paul Warne’s side Fornah has made nine appearances in League One this season and has been used as more of a rotation player, only starting seven of those games.
Fornah has not started a game since the 1-0 defeat to Shrewsbury at the end of last month and had only featured once since then, coming off the bench in the 4-0 win over Northampton Town.
He will be hoping his performances away on international duty could help him force his way back into Derby’s starting lineup.