Mauritania international Aboubakary Koita will miss AEK Athens’ next UEFA Champions League match against Como after receiving a straight red card following his side’s 3-2 defeat by Real Madrid.
The 28-year-old winger was dismissed by Italian referee Maurizio Mariani after the final whistle of Wednesday’s encounter on 4 November 2026, bringing a controversial end to an impressive individual performance.
Koita had given AEK an early advantage by scoring the opening goal before providing an assist for their second strike. However, his contributions were not enough to prevent the Greek side from suffering a late defeat, with Federico Valverde scoring Real Madrid’s winning goal in stoppage time.
According to Greek publication Sportal, Koita approached Mariani after the match and directed offensive language towards the referee. The official subsequently showed the Mauritanian a straight red card despite the final whistle having already been blown.
The dismissal was also included in the official match statistics, with the incident recorded towards the conclusion of the fixture.
Koita’s suspension means he will be unavailable when AEK face Italian opponents Como on 24 November, creating an additional selection problem for manager Marko Nikolic.
The disciplinary incident will be particularly frustrating for AEK, who had come close to securing an impressive result against the Spanish giants before Madrid completed a dramatic comeback.
Koita makes his mark against Real Madrid
Before his dismissal, Koita had produced an outstanding attacking display at the Allwyn Arena, playing a central role in AEK’s efforts against Real Madrid.
The winger opened the scoring after just 12 minutes, finishing confidently with his left foot after receiving a pass from former Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic.
His effort beat goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and handed the home side a surprise 1-0 lead, prompting celebrations among the AEK supporters.
The goal was another important moment in Koita’s European career, further enhancing his reputation following an impressive performance against one of the continent’s most prominent clubs.
Real Madrid responded through Jude Bellingham, who brought the visitors level in the 32nd minute. Despite the equaliser, Koita remained influential as AEK continued to challenge the Spanish side.
The Mauritanian international then demonstrated his creative ability in the 75th minute, providing the assist for Stavros Pilios to put the hosts back in front.
AEK’s renewed advantage, however, proved short-lived. Just three minutes after Pilios had scored, Kylian Mbappe found the net to restore parity for Madrid.
With the contest approaching its conclusion, Real Madrid continued pushing for a winner and eventually completed their comeback in dramatic fashion.
Federico Valverde struck in the second minute of stoppage time, securing a 3-2 victory for the Spanish side and leaving AEK disappointed after their determined performance.
Red card overshadows impressive individual display
Koita’s performance had initially appeared to be one of the major talking points from the encounter.
His early goal and second-half assist made him one of AEK’s most influential players, as the Greek outfit threatened to claim a memorable Champions League result against Real Madrid.
However, the post-match confrontation with Mariani shifted attention away from his attacking achievements.
The straight red card means Koita’s involvement against Madrid will be remembered for both his contribution to AEK’s goals and the disciplinary incident that followed the defeat.
For Nikolic, the immediate consequence is the absence of an important attacking option for the Champions League meeting with Como later in November.
AEK must now prepare for that fixture without the winger, whose impressive display against Real Madrid ended in disappointment following the final whistle.
