Victor Wanyama’s second spell in Scotland got off to a disastrous start when he was sent off just 20 minutes into the match on Saturday evening, as Dunfermline lost 3-0 to Ayr United.
The former Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder was introduced as a second-half substitute with Dunfermline trailing 1-0 at Somerset Park. However, things quickly took a turn for the worse for the Kenyan.
Wanyama entered the game in the 64th minute but received a red card in the 85th minute. Just four minutes later, Jamie Murphy doubled Ayr’s lead, following Connor McLennan’s opener in the first half.
In a further setback for Dunfermline’s hopes, Wanyama was sent off for a handball with only six minutes remaining. He slipped outside the box while in possession, handled the ball, and obstructed Mark McKenzie’s path to goal by pulling the Ayr attacker to the ground.
Ayr extended their advantage with a third goal from Ethan Walker deep into stoppage time, further frustrating Dunfermline manager Jack Ross and his former Celtic associate, Wanyama.
For Ayr manager Scott Brown, it was a tremendous victory against his former boss, allowing the Honest Men to rise to second in the league standings.
As Dunfermline supporters left Ayrshire and headed back to Fife, a poignant image began circulating on social media: a Kenyan flag hung alone on the terraces of Somerset Park, left in tribute to Wanyama.
