Red cards run in the Song Family

When Cameroon midfielder Alex Song saw red in last night’s match against Croatia, he was continuing a long-standing family tradition.

The Barcelona player rightly received a straight red card for a rash off-the-ball challenge on Croatia’s Mario Mandzukic.

Song's red mist moment https://t.co/8M2oHwJiJw #cmr v #cro

— breakingnews.ie (@breakingnewsie) June 18, 2014

As it turns out, World Cup infamy runs in the family.

His cousin, Rigobert Song, represented Cameroon from 1993 to 2010, and shares – with Zinedine Zidane – the distinction of being sent off in not one but two World Cups. He was sent off in USA ’94 against Brazil and again in France ’98 against Chile.

Even though Rigobert and Alex are cousins, Alex refers to him as an uncle.

So, amazingly, of the total of eight red cards Cameroon have ever received at World Cup finals, three have been handed to members of the Song family.

The Songs both have a fondness for flamboyant hairdos, if pictures of Rigobert are anything to go by. Cameroon fans must be wishing that was the only quirk Alex shared with his cousin.