Midfielder Aedan Scipio, 36, entered the match in the 69th minute with Anguilla already trailing 0-5. He immediately drew attention with his distinctive, long dreadlocks, which reached nearly to his ankles and were secured by multiple rubber bands, with an additional large band around his waist.
Just three minutes after his substitution, Scipio was central to an incident resulting in an opponent's red card. In the 72nd minute, as he gained possession and prepared a counter-attack, Keon Greene pulled his hair from behind. Haitian referee Wikelson Bonnet promptly issued a direct red card to the Antigua & Barbuda player.
Video caption: Incidents where two players received red cards for pulling Scipio's hair.
A similar incident unfolded in the 90+3 minute when Scipio again won a challenge, and another Antigua & Barbuda player pulled his hair. Shalon Knight was then shown a direct red card, reducing the home team to nine players.
Both red cards stemmed from hair-pulling incidents involving Scipio, occurring long after the match's outcome was effectively decided. Antigua & Barbuda ultimately secured a 5-0 victory against Anguilla.
Scipio's entry came at a point when Anguilla had virtually no chance of altering the game's outcome. Antigua & Barbuda had already established a commanding 5-0 lead by scoring five goals in the first half against their Caribbean opponent, a nation with a population of only about 16,000.
Scipio's distinctive hairstyle had already drawn prior attention. The 36-year-old Anguillan player is well-known for his unusually long dreadlocks, and images of him playing previously garnered significant social media interest during a World Cup 2026 qualifier against Suriname.
Portuguese media reported this as a rare occurrence: two players from the same team being successively sent off for pulling an opponent's hair within a single match.
The CONCACAF Nations League is in its fifth season, featuring men's national teams from the 41 CONCACAF member associations. The tournament, running from September 2026 to March 2027, also serves as a qualifying pathway for the Gold Cup 2027.
Antigua & Barbuda and Anguilla both participate in Group B of League C. After their 5-0 win on 26/9, Antigua & Barbuda led the group with three points and a +4 goal difference from two matches. Anguilla was at the bottom with no points and a -5 goal difference after just one match. Aruba also had three points, ranking second due to a lower goal difference.
Compiled by Hoang An
