Qatar player Assim Madibo has been given a five-match ban for the tackle that broke the leg of Canada midfielder Ismael Kone at the World Cup.
Madibo was issued a straight red card for the incident during Canada’s 6-0 victory over Qatar in Vancouver last Thursday.
The suspension rules him out of Qatar’s remaining World Cup matches, including Wednesday’s encounter that saw Bosnia and Herzegovina hand the 2022 hosts a 3-1 thrashing at Seattle Stadium.
The FIFA disciplinary committee said the suspension was for serious foul play and that the decision, given on Wednesday, was subject to appeal.
Canada’s first World Cup victory was overshadowed by the injury to Kone, who was taken off on a stretcher and later underwent surgery on a broken tibia and fibula in his left leg.
He was tackled from behind in the 51st minute, and players around him immediately feared he had sustained a serious injury as he lay on the ground, holding his leg and covering his mouth with his hand.
Despite the severity of his injury, Kone sat upright on his stretcher and reassured the crowd with a wave as the stadium roared in support for him while he was wheeled off the pitch. Nathan Saliba, who replaced the injured Kone and scored Canada’s fourth goal, celebrated by racing to the sideline to hold up a replica of the stricken Kone’s Canadian shirt and pointing to his shirt number, eight.
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Madibo was also visibly upset, crying on the pitch and with his hands clasped behind his head as his teammates comforted him.
Canada coach Jesse Marsch said in a news conference later on that Madibo came to Kone’s dressing room to apologise in person after the game.
“You can’t even imagine how grateful I am to everyone who reached out and that has me in their prayers,” Kone later posted on Instagram.
Madibo, along with Qatar’s sports minister, visited Kone to check on his health following the injury. “They were received by the President of the Canadian Soccer Association,” the Qatar Football Association said.
“This visit reflects the spirit of sportsmanship and the strong relationships on and off the field. We wish the player a speedy recovery and a quick return to the pitch.”
The association also posted photos of the visit, with one showing the wheelchair-bound Kone hugging Madibo as both sported their national jerseys.
Kone was cheering on Canada from the sidelines as the hosts ultimately lost 2-1 to Switzerland at BC Place, Vancouver, on Wednesday.
Madibo’s ban is not the biggest issue by FIFA at a World Cup. Uruguay striker Luis Suarez was given a nine-match suspension and banned from all football-related activity for four months for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
In 1994, Italy defender Mauro Tassotti was suspended for eight games for an elbow on Spain forward Luis Enrique.
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