Life-Saving Togo Striker Wins Over Czech Fans
Prague
(AFP) - Racially abused by their fans, Togolese striker Francis Kone
has taken on hero status after saving a rival goalkeeper's life in a
Czech top-flight game last weekend.
Togolese striker Francis Kone of FC Slovacko gives first aid to
Bohemians' goalkeeper Martin Berkovec during their Czech E-Pojistovna
game, in Prague, on February 25, 2017 (AFP Photo/Zdenka Bartosova)
Half
an hour into Saturday's tie pitting Bohemians 1905 Prague against
Kone's FC Slovacko, Bohemians keeper Martin Berkovec sprinted towards
the edge of the box to head out a long pass.
He crashed into his teammate, defender Daniel Krch, who was also running after the ball at full speed.
The
home crowd in Prague watched in horror as the impact left the
28-year-old Berkovec unconscious on the pitch with a swallowed tongue.
Swept
to the ground by the tumbling keeper Slovacko striker Kone was first to
provide emergency first aid as soon as he stood up.
"I was close because I was involved in the play," Kone told AFP on Monday.
He
managed to pull out Berkovec's tongue in the time it took Bohemians'
medical staff to arrive at the scene after waiting for the referee to
wave them onto the pitch and run some 60 metres (yards).
"Seconds
matter in a situation like this. If you swallow your tongue you start
to choke, the flow of air into the brain stops, so you have to act as
fast as possible," said Bohemians spokesman Tomas Mutinsky.
"If Martin is in a stable condition today, it is largely thanks to Francis," he told AFP.
- 'Endless seconds' -
"I would like to thank Francis Kone for his prompt help that saved my life. Once again, THANK YOU," Berkovec wrote on Facebook.
The keeper is set to meet his saviour soon.
"He has invited me for dinner," said Kone.
One Bohemians fan tweeted his thanks to Kone after the goalless draw: "He taught me something today, and not only me."
Another
fan who was in the stands on Saturday told Bohemians' club website how
Kone's quick thinking had impacted on the club's hard core fans.
"Two guys were sitting next to me. Racists. Their language was...(racist), monkey stuff," he said.
"And
then comes the shock. Endless seconds. Martin falls and doesn't move.
Kone is the first to arrive. He pulls the keeper's tongue out. A rival. A
black guy."
"The
entire stadium is silent, including the two guys. I don't give a damn
about the score. Martin will be OK, Francis Kone helped him. A rival? A
black? A man!"
Born
in Bondoukou in the northeast of Ivory Coast, Kone has taken advantage
of his mother's nationality to play for Togo since 2013.
At
26, he has had a varied career, having played for several clubs in
Thailand (Muangthong United FC, PTT Rayong), Oman (Al-Musannah),
Portugal (Olhanense) and Hungary (Honved Budapest) before joining
Slovacko in 2015.
"This is the fourth time it has happened to me -- (I've experienced this) once in Thailand and twice in Africa," said Kone.
"No, I don't have medical education," he chuckles.
"In this type of situation, I always make sure whether the player has not swallowed his tongue."
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