Abu Francis red card fails to derail Cercle Brugge's fight in Europa League exit
Abu Francis
Ghanaian midfielder Abu Francis received a red card during the second leg of Cercle Brugge's Europa League Qualification Round 3 match against Molde FK on Thursday evening.
Read full articleDespite the setback of an early dismissal, Cercle Brugge demonstrated commendable determination but ultimately exited the tournament after a 1-0 defeat, resulting in a 1-3 aggregate score at the Jan Breydelstadion.
Francis, who was on the field alongside fellow countryman Lawrence Agyekum, was sent off following a VAR review just thirty minutes into the match. Nevertheless, Cercle Brugge continued to press forward and managed to score just before halftime, with Abdoul Ouattara taking advantage of a rebound from a corner kick.
Molde, who had a 3-0 advantage from the first leg, had several chances to increase their lead but were thwarted by the efforts of Cercle Brugge's goalkeeper, Delanghe. The match concluded with a 1-0 scoreline, a respectable outcome for Cercle Brugge under the circumstances, yet insufficient for progression in the tournament.
Cercle Brugge will now turn their attention to their next league match against OH Leuven on August 18th.
