Nigeria’s Emmanuel Fernandez ‘lucky’ to avoid red card in Celtic clash, says Chris Sutton

Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton has questioned referee John Beaton’s decision not to send off Super Eagles defender Emmanuel Fernandez during Rangers’ Scottish Premiership clash with Celtic at Celtic Park on Sunday.

Fernandez escaped a second yellow card after a first-half challenge on Celtic midfielder Benjamin Nygren, with Sutton arguing that the Rangers defender was fortunate to remain on the pitch following the incident.

The Nigerian had already been cautioned when he stepped out of Rangers’ defensive line in an attempt to regain possession. However, his challenge on Nygren brought the Celtic midfielder down and prompted strong appeals from the home side for a second booking.

Beaton opted against taking further disciplinary action, ruling that Fernandez had made contact with the ball before bringing down Nygren.

The decision frustrated the Celtic players, but Fernandez was allowed to continue and ultimately completed the full match without receiving another yellow card.

Sutton, speaking on Sky Sports, disagreed with Beaton’s assessment and described the challenge as dangerous, insisting the Nigerian defender had taken a significant risk given his earlier booking.

“That’s a foul,” Sutton said. “That’s reckless. He’s a lucky boy, he really is.”

The incident added to the disciplinary pressure on Fernandez, who had to negotiate the remainder of the contest knowing that another caution would have resulted in his dismissal.

Despite the controversy, the defender remained on the field until the final whistle as Rangers saw out the encounter at Celtic Park.

Fernandez will now turn his attention to international duty after being named in the Super Eagles squad for their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixtures.

The Nigeria international is expected to join camp as the Super Eagles prepare for matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.

With Nigeria continuing their preparations for the qualifying campaign, Fernandez will be hoping to put the Celtic controversy behind him and maintain his place in the national team setup.

His survival at Celtic Park, however, has already drawn scrutiny, with Sutton making it clear that he believed the defender had escaped punishment for a challenge that could easily have resulted in a second booking and an early exit.