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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
Sport
Gareth Fullerton

Watch Ukrainian player's cynical red card challenge that went viral

It was one of the most cynical challenges you will witness in football - and now it's gone viral.

Ukraine's Natiya Pantsulaya was the unfortunate culprit, veering into Sarah McFadden as the Northern Ireland midfielder tried to reach the ball and get a shot on target.

It would have been easier for Pantsulaya to knock the ball back to her own goalkeeper, but she decided to take a detour to deny McFadden.

The result? A straight red card to compound a miserable night - and play-off - for Ukraine.

After losing their home leg 2-1 in Kiev, Ukraine suffered another 2-0 defeat to lose the Euro 2022 play-off 4-1 on aggregate.

It was a historic night for Northern Ireland as they qualified for a major tournament for the first time in their history.

For Ukraine, it was a night to forget - not least for Pantsulaya.

One fan shared the footage on Twitter, describing the tackle as "almost a work of performance art".

And the clip has now racked up almost 2m views.

One viewer replied: "Why does she not just clear the ball?"

Another added: "For what reason did she do this?"

One person offered some rationale: "I think the defender went to try and hold off the attacker so the ball would safely go to the keeper and she simply got it all wrong. That's the only logical explanation."

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