Ismaël Koné stretchered off for Canada, World Cup almost certainly over | OneFootball

Ismaël Koné was stretchered off for Canada against Qatar at the World Cup on Thursday, his tournament has almost certainly ended after a leg injury.

According to L'Équipe, the Sassuolo midfielder was hurt in a collision with Assim Madibo in the 51st minute, which brought a red card for Madibo. He left the pitch in the 57th minute.

Seated as he was carried round, he applauded the supporters while making almost a half-lap of the pitch to reach the tunnel. The incident sparked a brief confrontation, with some Canada players approaching Madibo, who appeared shocked by the state of Koné’s leg.

Koné, 24, formerly of Marseille, had started strongly, being named player of the match in Canada’s opener against Bosnia last Friday, a 1-1 draw. Canada, one of the three World Cup hosts, led 3-0 before he departed.

His replacement, Nathan Saliba, scored soon after coming on to make it 4-0 in the 64th minute, then celebrated by holding aloft a shirt bearing Koné’s name and number.

Source: L'Équipe