The Angolan goalkeeper of Petro Atlético de Luanda, Hugo Marques, was sent off after 25 seconds in Harare, a record in the history of the CAF Champions League, ahead of the second leg on 23 October.
Twenty-five seconds. That is how long it took Hugo Marques, the 40-year-old Angolan international goalkeeper, to leave the pitch at the National Sports Stadium in Harare. According to SuperSport, his straight red card against Scottland FC is the earliest sending-off ever recorded in the history of the CAF Champions League.
The man with the whistle, Abongile Tom, a 34-year-old FIFA international referee, is coming in for heavy criticism. According to Briefly News, which reported it on the morning of 20 October 2026, two of his decisions in African Champions League football are up for debate.
A DOGSO that divides opinion
The referee judged that the Angolan goalkeeper had denied a clear goalscoring opportunity (DOGSO) for Panashe Mutimbanyoka. But according to KickOff, the replays show defenders in cover, an element that fuels the challenge to the decision.
The same outlet notes that a handball by the substitute goalkeeper, outside his area, went unpunished later in the match.
On the pitch, the game was shaped by that sending-off. Midfielder Mario Balbúdia had to be sacrificed from the first minute to allow the substitute goalkeeper to come on. Scottland FC won 2-0 thanks to Khama Billiat in the 66th minute, then Knowledge Musona in the 80th, according to SuperSport.
Mapeza and Sousa react
Scottland FC coach Norman Mapeza reacted to his players’ performance against an opponent reduced to ten. “That’s why they’re here. I think whatever they bring to the team, I can’t place any value on it. It’s priceless. Playing against 10 men is never easy. Such games are difficult,” he told SuperSport.
In the opposite camp, Petro Atlético de Luanda coach Joao Sousa did not hide his frustration: “A bad result and a bad game. It was very hard, very difficult. We tried to manage the game after the red card, but it was very difficult. The confidence dropped.”
Tom already under pressure
The controversy comes shortly after another disputed sequence. According to Briefly News, the referee’s penalty decisions in the MTN8 final, won 2-0 by Mamelodi Sundowns against Orlando Pirates, had been widely debated.
For Scottland FC, this debut on the continental stage is a first in the club’s history, as The Herald recalls.
Beaten 2-0 in the first leg, Petro Atlético must now turn the tie around. The second leg, decisive for qualification for the group stage, will be played in Luanda on Friday 23 October 2026, according to SuperSport.