Anouar Kali could only smile in disbelief.
The Willem II midfielder was assessed a red card and sent off from a Dutch Cup match Wednesday after a Video Assistant Referee sitting in a van advised a match official to change the original yellow card ruling.
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Kali became the first player to feel the impact of a Video Assistant Referee in such a way, as the use of video replay continues to be tested worldwide.
Video Assistant Referee Pol van Boekemade his presence known during a match between Willem II and Ajax, recommending the ejection. Match official Danny Makkelie made the final decision on the field that contact Kali made with an Ajax player Lasse Schöne when challenging for the ball was excessive.
The VAR van Boekemade said in a statement that upon further review, his opinion was that the call should have been “100 percent red.”
The VAR also assisted the match official Makkelie on an Ajax goal that was ultimately upheld when it was determined there was no off sides on the play.
The Ajax-Willem II match was the first of two Dutch Cup matches where the VAR would be tested. Earlier this month, Dutch officials were also selected by FIFA to use the technology during a France-Italy friendly.