Ghanaian midfielder Abu Francis received a red card during Cercle Brugge's Europa League Qualification Round 3 second leg match against Molde FK on Thursday evening.

Despite being reduced to ten men early in the match, Cercle Brugge fought hard but ultimately lost 1-0, resulting in a 3-1 aggregate defeat at the Jan Breydelstadion.

Francis, who was in the starting lineup alongside fellow Ghanaian Lawrence Agyekum, was dismissed after a VAR review in the 30th minute.

Despite this early setback, Cercle Brugge continued to push forward. Their resilience was rewarded just before halftime when Abdoul Ouattara capitalized on a rebound from a corner kick to score.

Molde, holding a commanding 3-0 lead from the first leg, created several opportunities to extend their advantage but were repeatedly denied by Cercle Brugge's goalkeeper, Delanghe.

Although Cercle Brugge managed to secure a 1-0 victory on the night, it wasn't enough to overcome the first-leg deficit, leading to their elimination from the competition.

With their European campaign over, Cercle Brugge will now shift focus to their domestic league, preparing for an upcoming fixture against OH Leuven on August 18th.