Credit: Twitter
The Lionesses star Lauren James got a red card for stamping on opponent Michelle Alozie during the Round of 16 fixture between England and Nigeria in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. The game took place at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Australia. James was sent off during England’s dramatic penalty shootout win over Nigeria by 4-2.
The team would now continue in their quarter-final clash without their star midfielder. Earlier during the game, James was shown a yellow card for engaging in a verbal altercation with Nigeria’s Michelle Alozie. However, it was later upgraded to a red card by referee Melissa Borjas for violent conduct, leaving the English side to continue with only 10 women.
James and Alozie got tangled while they were competing for possession of the ball. The fact that she wasn’t awarded a foul left James annoyed, and while getting up, the England player planted her right foot on Alozie’s back during the 85th minute of the game.
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The offence by the 21-year-old football star means that she will be suspended for England’s quarter-final clash against the winners of Colombia vs Jamaica. However, James could miss one more game if FIFA decides to extend her ban. As per the rules of the tournament, “If players or team officials are sent off as a result of a direct or indirect red card, they will automatically be suspended from their team’s subsequent match. In addition, further sanctions may be imposed by the FIFA Disciplinary Committee.”
