Canada midfielder Ismael Kone is in hospital and will undergo surgery after suffering a serious injury from a horror tackle by Qatar's Assim Madibo. Kone fractured both his fibula and tibia during the match, according to reports.
The 24-year-old was carried off the pitch on a stretcher after being fouled by Madibo, who received a red card for the challenge. Kone was clearly in agony the moment he hit the turf, while Madibo buried his head in his hands in despair.
Support from Mother and Teammates
After the final whistle, Canada coach Jesse Marsch confirmed that Kone had been taken to hospital, where he was joined by his mother, Suzanne, ahead of his operation. Marsch also revealed that Madibo visited the dressing room to personally apologise for his challenge.
"I saw his leg. I saw that something wasn't right," said Canada captain Stephen Eustaquio, who was among the first players to rush to his teammate's side. "We're going to miss Kone. He has that X factor that our team really needs."
Reaction from Teammates and Coach
Canada's hat-trick hero Jonathan David questioned the necessity of the challenge. "If there's a play where you cannot win the ball, there's no point," he said. "It's just to hurt people."
Marsch heaped praise upon Kone in the wake of Canada's victory, remaining firmly convinced that the player has a bright future. "Ismael is such a great kid. He's so imperfect but that's why you love him. He can do great things and the next moment he loses concentration. He embodies a lot of what the team is. It's a huge loss for us. He'll be fine, we'll get him good doctors. He's got a big future and he's a big part of everything we'll do."
Canada's Tribute
Despite the setback, Canada secured a comprehensive 6-0 victory over Qatar. After their fourth goal, netted by Kone's replacement Nathan Saliba, the side honoured their stricken star. Saliba grabbed a shirt displaying his teammate's name and number following a superb free kick. He held it high to rousing applause from the packed home supporters.
