Double fracture for Ismaël Koné after horrible tackle against Qatar

Ismaël Koné was evacuated on a stretcher during Canada’s historic victory over Qatar (6-0), Sunday in Vancouver, after a tackle by Assim Madibo that caused him a double tibia-fibula fracture.

The gesture by the Qatari defender, immediately sent off, caused a spectacular and painful injury to watch: the former Marseille player’s leg appeared twisted, bent inward, with an oxygen mask in his hand as he left the pitch. “It happened right in front of us and we all heard the bone break,” Canadian manager Jesse Marsch said after the match. “Everyone is a bit shaken, because of the nature of the injury, but also because Ismael is a pillar of our team. It will be a big loss for us.”

The Canadian Football Federation had not yet officially communicated the diagnosis at the time of Marsch’s statements, but journalist Fabrizio Romano mentions a double tibia-fibula fracture. Hospitalized immediately after the match, Koné was to undergo surgery in the hours following according to his manager.

The evening remained memorable for Canada in other respects. Five days after an opening draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Canadians secured their first-ever World Cup victory, playing with numerical superiority for most of the second half. Jonathan David scored a hat-trick, tying him with Lionel Messi at the top of the tournament’s scoring chart. With this victory, Canada tops their group and virtually secures qualification for the round of 16 before facing Switzerland on the final day.