FIFA has cracked the whip in the serious game. Qatar midfielder Assim Madibo was handed a heavy five-match ban by soccer’s global body on Wednesday after a gruesome attack that broke the leg of Canadian midfielder Ismael Kone during their World Cup group game.The 28-year-old Qatar international was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge during Canada’s convincing 6-0 win over Qatar at BC Place last Thursday. FIFA’s disciplinary committee confirmed the long ban was for a serious offence, adding that the decision was still subject to appeal.A tragic sequence of eventsWhat should have been a night of historic celebration for Canada, marking their first World Cup victory, was completely overshadowed by the nagging injury to Koné. The AC Milan midfielder was attacked from behind in the 51st minute, collapsing his left leg under a challenge.Players on both sides immediately signaled to medical staff in a panic as Koné lay writhing on the turf, masking his mouth in agony. The young midfielder was taken away on a stretcher, and then underwent emergency surgery to repair the tibia and fibula fractures of his left leg.A visibly distraught Madibo, who immediately realized the seriousness of the damage, went to personally apologize to Koné after the final whistle. The Canadian star later took to Instagram to thank fans, writing, “You can’t imagine how grateful I am to everyone who reached out and kept me in their prayers.”Strict precedentsAlthough the five-match ban is rare in the modern history of the tournament, it does not stand as the most severe sanction handed down by FIFA. The absolute record remains with Uruguay striker Luis Suárez, who was slapped with a massive nine-match, four-month ban for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini in Brazil in 2014. Prior to that, Italy defender Mauro Tassotti received an eight-match ban in 1994 for breaking the nose of Spain striker Luis Enrique with his elbow.The Qatar Football Association has yet to issue an official comment on the ruling, while Canada faces the grim reality of sailing the rest of its dream domestic World Cup campaign without its star midfield.
