RIO DE JANEIRO (REUTERS) - Brazilian football saw one of its fastest ever red cards on Thursday (April 1) when Kaio Wilker was sent off after 17 seconds in Botafogo's Copa do Nordeste match against state rivals Treze.

Wilker threw both feet at a Treze defender's head with eight seconds on the clock and the referee took about as long again to brandish the red card.

Although such records are hard to ascertain, the red card must rank as one of the fastest in senior football.

One of the quickest and most notorious red cards in the English Premier League was shown to Liverpool's Steven Gerrard after 38 seconds against Manchester United in 2015.

The Guardian said Giuseppe Lorenzo of Bologna was sent off after 10 seconds for hitting a Parma player in 1990.

Home side Treze won Thursday's match 1-0 with a second-half goal. Both teams are from the north-eastern state of Paraiba.