FIFA cracks down on serious foul play. Qatar midfielder Asim Madibo was handed a serious five-match suspension by global football’s governing body on Wednesday after a horrific tackle that left Canadian midfielder Ismail Cone with a broken leg during the World Cup group stage.The 28-year-old Qatari player was shown a straight red card for a reckless collision during Canada’s 6-0 win over Qatar at BC Place last Thursday. FIFA’s disciplinary committee confirmed the long-term ban was due to serious foul play, adding that the decision could still be appealed.A tragic turn of eventsWhat should have been a historic night of celebration for Team Canada, marking their first World Cup victory, was completely overshadowed by Cone’s devastating injury. The AC Milan midfielder was punched from behind in the 51st minute and fell to the ground with his left leg during the confrontation.Players from both sides immediately signaled to medical staff in panic, and Cone rolled on the turf, covering his mouth in pain. The young midfielder was taken to hospital on a stretcher and later underwent emergency surgery to repair fractures to the tibia and fibula in his left leg.A visibly distracted Madibo immediately recognized the gravity of the loss and personally apologized to Cone after the final whistle. The Canadian star later thanked fans on Instagram, writing, “You can’t even imagine how grateful I am to everyone who has reached out and prayed for me.”strict precedentWhile a five-match ban is rare in the modern history of the game, it is not the toughest sanction FIFA has imposed. The absolute record holds that of Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, who was handed a massive nine-match ban and four-month football ban for biting Italian player Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Before that, Italian defender Mauro Tassotti was banned for eight games in 1994 for elbowing Spanish forward Luis Enrique in the nose.The Qatar Football Association has yet to officially comment on the ruling, and Canada faces the stark reality of playing out the remainder of their dream World Cup home campaign without their star midfield engine.
