NafisaHaissem Hassan was left furious during Celtic’s heavy Old Firm defeat at Ibrox after a heated incident involving Rangers defender James Penrice sparked a chaotic confrontation between the two sides.
With Rangers already 3-0 ahead in Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup quarter-final, tempers suddenly boiled over on the far side of the pitch as several players became involved in an angry exchange.
For Hassan, however, the flashpoint had started with something that happened moments earlier.
The Celtic winger had been brought down during the play before Penrice kicked the ball, with it striking Hassan as he lay on the ground.
That was enough to infuriate the Celtic man.
Hassan immediately got back to his feet and went straight towards Penrice, appearing to demand an explanation for what had just happened.
What followed quickly escalated as more players from both teams rushed towards the pair.
Hassan furious after Penrice incident
The context of the confrontation was important.
Rangers were already cruising towards a statement Old Firm victory by that stage, having established a three-goal advantage through Dan Neil’s brace and Kevin Kelsy’s second-half strike.
Celtic were frustrated and struggling to find a way back into the match, while Rangers had increasingly taken control of the contest.
Hassan had been one of Celtic’s more threatening players after coming on, but his afternoon took another turn when he was hauled to the ground by Olwethu Makhanya.
As Hassan remained on the pitch, Penrice then kicked the ball and it struck the Celtic winger.
From Hassan’s reaction, it was clear that he did not see the incident as something to simply brush aside.
He quickly bounced back to his feet and confronted Penrice, with the Celtic player appearing particularly unhappy that the ball had been kicked in his direction while he was still on the ground.
The situation then threatened to become much bigger than the original incident.
Players rush into chaotic Ibrox rammy
Within seconds, players from both sides had become involved.
The confrontation moved beyond Hassan and Penrice as teammates rushed over, with Celtic’s Colby Donovan and Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin among those involved in the heated exchange.
There was plenty of shouting as players from both teams attempted to get involved and separate those at the centre of the dispute.
It was the kind of flashpoint that had the potential to turn an already fiery Old Firm afternoon into something considerably uglier.
Given the scoreline, the emotions were understandable.
Rangers were 3-0 ahead and heading towards the semi-finals, while Celtic were facing the reality of one of their heaviest defeats of the season.
But the incident also showed just how quickly frustration had boiled over inside the Celtic camp.
Hassan’s reaction was particularly noticeable because of how immediately he went back towards Penrice after being hit by the ball.
Hassan and Penrice both booked
Referee Nick Walsh eventually restored order and dealt with the two players at the centre of the confrontation.
Both Hassan and Penrice were shown yellow cards following the flashpoint.
There was no further escalation, but the incident added another layer to an already dramatic afternoon at Ibrox.
Rangers ultimately completed a 3-0 victory, with Neil scoring twice and Kelsy adding the second, sending Derek McInnes’ side into the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals.
For Celtic, meanwhile, the defeat was difficult enough without the late confrontation adding to the frustration.
The incident involving Hassan and Penrice therefore became one of the most memorable flashpoints of a derby in which Rangers dominated from start to finish.
And while the result had already been decided by the time the rammy erupted, Hassan’s reaction made it clear that Celtic were not prepared to simply accept everything that happened on the pitch quietly.
Nafisa
