The shocking injury suffered by Ismael Kone during Canada’s 6-0 victory over Qatar was deliberately withheld from World Cup broadcasts globally, with the company responsible for coverage now explaining why no replays of the incident were aired.
Serious injuries are an unfortunate reality of contact sports, yet when they do occur, broadcasters face a difficult judgement call over replays. On this occasion, the absence of any repeat footage of Kone’s injury served as a silent signal to viewers at home that something truly grim had taken place.
Other broadcasters have previously drawn criticism for airing multiple angles of injuries, most notably ESPN, when NFL star Tyreek Hill’s leg buckled beneath him and he was carried from the field. Kone, too, was stretchered off and rushed to hospital, and Host Broadcast Services was left in no doubt about the severity of the situation.
HBS supplies international coverage to local broadcasters across the globe and plays a decisive role in shaping the live feed. The company revealed to The Athletic that the decision was reached in conjunction with the TV match director in Vancouver and a quality-control room in Dallas overseeing the tournament.
“The injury was extremely serious and was seen live by everyone in the stadium and watching at home,” an HBS spokesperson said. “Out of respect for the player, for his family, and for our audience, we made the editorial decision, following our standard practices, not to replay the moment.
“Our role in a situation like that is to inform without sensationalizing, and we felt the live footage had already told the story.”
The BBC also confirmed that their highlights package was edited due to the “sensitivities around the injury”.
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The gesture of respect was entirely justified as Kone suffered a broken left leg, requiring gas and air as he was carried off the pitch on a stretcher. Despite his agony, the Canadian midfielder kept his spirits high, giving a thumbs up to the Vancouver crowd who had just witnessed their national side’s first World Cup victory.
The 6-0 triumph all but secured Canada’s place in the knockout stages, though the jubilation was somewhat dampened by Kone’s injury.
The midfielder faces a spell on the sidelines for the remainder of the tournament and potentially much of the rest of the year, yet has already returned to the team’s training base to stay close to his squad-mates.
In the wake of his bad injury, he wrote on Instagram: “ALLAH has never failed me. Throughout my life, not even once. So why doubt him now? Especially knowing that. He knows and sees everything before it even happened. He has a plan and a vision for all of us.
View 2 ImagesIsmael Kone issued a message on social media after his horror injury at the World Cup
“This battle is test to my faith in him and to my character. And honestly I’m ready for it because, ALLAH will never give you a challenge that you can’t overcome and being tested is the best of gift from god. Your love and support has been felt, honestly thank you so much.
“You can’t even imagine, how grateful I am to everyone who reached out and that has me in their prayers.
“I thank god for that because not everyone is this fortunate.
“To Canadian brothers, as I turned myself into assistant coach to support you from the sideline. I wanted you to know that I love you guys from the bottom of my heart and our brotherhood is everything to me. What you guys did yesterday will stay with me forever. I’ll be back very soon and we’ll keep making more memories together.”
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