Ismael Kone was carried off on a stretcher, sitting up and waving to the crowd, after a challenge that left his manager in tears. The 24-year-old midfielder had just helped Canada to their first-ever World Cup finals win – a 6-0 thrashing of nine-man Qatar in Vancouver – but the victory was overshadowed by the horrifying injury he sustained in the 52nd minute.
Kone suffered a broken leg following a tackle from Qatar's Assim Madibo. The challenge, described by Canada coach Jesse Marsch as so severe that “everyone could hear the bone snap”, prompted a VAR review that resulted in Madibo being sent off. Qatar had already been reduced to ten men after Homam Ahmed's first-half dismissal. Both sets of players formed a protective barrier around Kone as medical staff rushed onto the pitch.
“Canada thrashed Qatar 6-0 for their first World Cup win, but Ismael Kone's broken leg left manager Jesse Marsch in tears.”
Marsch, visibly emotional after the match, admitted he was still shaken. “I haven’t spoken to Ismael yet, he’s at the hospital, he will prepare for a surgery,” he said. “Your heart goes out to him, and everybody’s a little shaken by the experience, because of the nature of the injury and also because Ismael is a big part of the team. You saw also that he was waving to the crowd and almost making everybody else feel at ease with the fact that he’s injured, and that’s an incredible statement about Ismael as a person, but…”
Despite the distress, Kone took to Instagram on Friday afternoon to thank his teammates and vow to return. “ALLAH has never failed me,” he wrote. “This battle is test to my faith in him and to my character. And honestly I’m ready for it because, ALLAH will never give you a challenge that you can’t overcome and being tested is the best of gift from god. … To Canadian brothers, as I turned myself into assistant coach to support you from the sideline. I wanted you to know that I love you guys from the bottom of my heart and our brotherhood is everything to me. What you guys did yesterday will stay with me forever. I’ll be back very soon and we’ll keep making more memories together.”
For Marsch, the joy of a historic 6-0 win – Canada’s first in a men’s World Cup – was replaced by concern for his player. “His family is with him at the hospital,” Marsch said. “We’ll see exactly what we decide to do for him.” The challenge, and the sound of the snap, will linger long after the final whistle.