Hendry Red Card Costs Scotland as Switzerland Win 3-0 at Hampden

Sebastien Pocognoli’s first home match as Scotland head coach ended in a 3-0 defeat to Switzerland at Hampden Park on Tuesday 29 September. Jack Hendry was sent off early in the first half, Ricardo Rodriguez scored from the resulting free-kick, and second-half goals from Nico Elvedi and Zeki Amdouni completed a deflating night in Nations League B1.

The result came three days after Scotland drew 0-0 with Slovenia in Ljubljana in Pocognoli’s first game in charge. Switzerland have now won both of their group matches, while Scotland are still waiting for their first goal under the Belgian coach.

An early red card changes everything

The key moment came in the opening minutes. Hendry was caught on the wrong side of Dan Ndoye and pulled the Swiss winger back as he raced towards goal. Referee Nenad Minakovic initially awarded a penalty and showed a yellow card, but after a VAR review the decision was changed: the foul had occurred outside the area, and Hendry was sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Switzerland made the advantage count almost immediately. Rodriguez, the former AC Milan defender, curled the free-kick into the top corner from the edge of the box on 12 minutes. From that point, Scotland spent the rest of the game chasing with ten men.

The visitors doubled their lead ten minutes after half-time when Elvedi swept home Ndoye’s cross, and Amdouni, the Burnley forward, finished from close range on 82 minutes after another Ndoye cut-back. Ndoye was involved in all three goals: winning the free-kick and then creating the second and third.

• Result: Scotland 0-3 Switzerland, UEFA Nations League B1, Tuesday 29 September 2026.
• Goals: Ricardo Rodriguez (12, free-kick), Nico Elvedi (55), Zeki Amdouni (82).
• Red card: Jack Hendry, for denying a goalscoring opportunity, after a VAR review.
• Previous match: Slovenia 0-0 Scotland, Saturday 26 September, Ljubljana.
• Switzerland have won both of their group matches.

Switzerland were impressive throughout. Having reached the World Cup quarter-finals in the summer, they arrived in Glasgow as one of the stronger sides in League B, and they played with the confidence of a team used to controlling games. Once ahead, they moved the ball patiently, stretched Scotland’s ten men across the pitch and waited for the gaps to appear. Ndoye, in particular, enjoyed the kind of freedom on the flank that a full-strength Scotland side would rarely allow.

The draw in Slovenia

Scotland’s first match under Pocognoli had offered encouragement. At the Stadion Stozice on Saturday, they were frustrated by an outstanding performance from Slovenia goalkeeper Jan Oblak. Robbie Ure hit the post late in the first half, Oli McBurnie was denied in a one-on-one when Oblak took the ball from him, Kieron Bowie pulled a clear chance wide and Billy Gilmour forced a diving save.

Pocognoli handed debuts to Stephen Welsh and Ure and recalled McBurnie. The striker was honest about the missed chances. “I’ve got to score and a couple of the other lads as well,” he told the BBC. “It’s disappointing, but a good start under a new manager.” He added that the second-half display was “what the manager wanted from us”.

Pocognoli: remember this night differently

After the Switzerland defeat, Pocognoli described the early dismissal as “probably the worst situation that we can have”, pointing out that Scotland played around 80 per cent of the game with ten men. “After eight minutes the game plan has to be put on the side,” he told Sky Sports, adding that his players had shown a “great attitude to stick together”.

He also looked to the longer term. “It’s not easy against a good team to be with 10 men,” he said. “Hopefully we will remember this night differently later on.” Captain Andy Robertson echoed the frustration about the disrupted plan: “What we’ve planned for the last three days went completely out the window.”

Analysis: an unfortunate start, but real questions

It would be unfair to judge Pocognoli on a game shaped by a red card so early. The 39-year-old Belgian was appointed in August to succeed Steve Clarke, and these are his first two matches. Building a new style takes time, and playing more than 80 minutes with ten men against a side of Switzerland’s quality is one of the hardest tasks in international football.

Yet there are statistics that will sharpen scrutiny. Pocognoli is the first Scotland manager since George Burley in 2008 to fail to win either of his first two matches. Scotland have not scored under him, and the chances missed in Slovenia will be remembered if goals continue to be hard to find.

The Slovenia performance suggested the team can create chances. The problem was finishing, and against Oblak that is sometimes forgivable. The Switzerland defeat was different: a game decided by one error, followed by the usual consequences of playing a numerical disadvantage against a technically strong opponent. Ndoye’s influence on the right flank was a particular problem Scotland could not solve.

• Scotland have taken one point from two matches under Pocognoli.
• They have not scored in either game.
• Hendry’s dismissal left them with ten men for roughly 80 per cent of the match.
• Dan Ndoye was involved in all three Swiss goals.

What comes next

The window continues quickly. Scotland travel to face North Macedonia on Saturday 3 October before hosting Slovenia on Tuesday 6 October. Those two matches now carry significant weight for a team sitting third in the group and still searching for its first goal and first win under the new head coach.

Pocognoli will hope the return of a full complement of players on the pitch allows his ideas to come through more clearly. The Slovenia game showed a team capable of pressing and creating opportunities. If Scotland can combine that energy with sharper finishing, the Hampden defeat may indeed be remembered differently later, as the coach hopes.

For football fans in Malaysia who follow the home nations, it was an early-morning result that summed up the fine margins of international football. One moment, one VAR review and one precise free-kick changed the evening. Scotland now have a short turnaround to prove that the setback was an exception rather than a sign of what lies ahead.