SOCCER: Kone's broken leg casts shadow over Canada's historic World Cup win

VANCOUVER, Canada — Canada’s first-ever World Cup victory was overshadowed on Thursday after midfielder Ismaël Koné suffered a broken leg following a heavy tackle that left teammates shaken and coach Jesse Marsch lamenting an injury that turned a night of celebration into concern.

The 24-year-old Koné was stretchered off at BC Place after Qatar’s Assim Madibo caught him from behind in the 54th minute of Canada’s 6-0 win. Marsch said the impact was so severe that the sound of the collision was audible from the sidelines.

“It happened right in front of the bench. We could all hear it,” Marsch said, adding that he immediately feared the worst based on past experiences with similar injuries.

“I knew right away it was similar to when Tajon (Buchanan) got hurt in training. Everyone could hear the bones snap,” he added.

The incident sparked a heated reaction from Canada’s players and staff, with several players confronting opponents and Marsch demanding an explanation for what he felt should have been an immediate red card offense. The challenge was later upgraded from a yellow card.

Marsch said Madibo later visited Canada’s dressing room to apologize to Koné, a gesture he acknowledged, but he criticized the reaction from parts of the Qatar bench during the aftermath of the incident.

“I don’t fault him for that,” Marsch said. “But I don’t understand the reaction from their entire bench trying to argue it wasn’t a red card when a clear foul just happened that broke a player’s leg.”

Koné was taken to hospital and is expected to undergo surgery, dealing a major setback to a Canada side that moved top of Group B with four points from two matches and remains in strong contention to reach the knockout stage of the expanded 48-team tournament.

Substitute Nathan Saliba, who replaced Koné, scored shortly after to make it 4-0, later celebrating by holding Koné’s No. 8 jersey aloft before kissing it and making the sign of the cross.

Hat-trick scorer Jonathan David said the injury made it difficult for the team to stay focused in the closing stages of the match.

“At that point, we just wanted the game to end so we could all be together,” David said.

Marsch added that Koné’s absence would be deeply felt, describing the Ivory Coast-born midfielder, who plays for Sassuolo in Italy’s Serie A, as a key figure in the squad.

“Everybody’s a little shaken by the whole experience,” Marsch said. “Ismaël is a big part of the heart of our team. He’s an X-factor for us, and we’ll miss him. But we have players who can step in and help us move forward.” -Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, Editing by Ken Ferris/Reuters