Ghanaian midfielder Abu Francis was sent off during Cercle Brugge's Europa League Qualification Round 3 second leg against Molde FK on Thursday evening.
Despite being reduced to ten men early in the game, Cercle Brugge put up a valiant fight but ultimately fell short, losing 1-0 (3-1 on aggregate) at the Jan Breydelstadion.
Francis, who started the match alongside his fellow Ghanaian Lawrence Agyekum, was shown a red card after a VAR review just 30 minutes into the game.
This setback, however, did not deter Cercle Brugge, who continued to press forward. Their efforts paid off just before halftime when Abdoul Ouattara pounced on a rebound from a corner kick to score.
Molde, who had a commanding 3-0 lead from the first leg, had several chances to extend their advantage but were repeatedly thwarted by Cercle Brugge's goalkeeper Delanghe.
Despite the 1-0 victory on the night, it was not enough for Cercle Brugge to overturn the deficit from the first leg, resulting in their exit from the competition.
Cercle Brugge will now turn their attention to domestic matters as they prepare for their upcoming league fixture against OH Leuven on August 18th.