Al Wakrah star and Mali defender Ousmane Coulibaly suffered a heart attack during a domestic match in Qatar on Saturday.
The 16-cap international was playing for Al Wakrah against Al Rayyan in the QNB Stars League when the horrifying incident occurred.
Coulibaly, who has had spells in Europe with Brest, Guingamp, Platanias and Panathinaikos, collapsed late in the first half.
As cameras panned to the 32-year-old in distress on the goalline, panicked medics sprinted their way towards the stricken ace.
Once the severity of the issue became apparent, the match was abandoned and given as a 1-0 win for Al Rayyan, who were ahead at the time. Later on, a statement released by the league confirmed Coulibaly had indeed suffered a heart attack.
“During the QNB Stars League match between Al Rayyan and Al Wakrah on Saturday, Ousmane Coulibaly suffered a heart attack which required the intervention of medical and ambulance staff present at the venue,” a short statement read.
“It may be noted that the player is currently receiving necessary medical care and attention.
“The Qatar Stars League wishes the player a fast recovery, and we would like to thank the medical staff of both teams, paramedics and doctors for their great efforts during such events.
“Regarding the status of the match, it was agreed to end it and complete the remaining time later starting with the score when it was stopped (1-0 in favour of Al Rayyan).”
The Qatar Player’s Association also offered their best wishes to the Al Wakrah star on social media. They tweeted: “Get well soon Ousmane Coulibaly.”
While someone else added: “Wishing Ousmane Coulibaly a speedy recovery, Ousmane collapsed during a game in the Qatar Stars League.” Coulibaly is the latest footballer to suffer from cardiac and heart problems on the pitch.
Former Tottenham Hotspur ace Christian Eriksen collapsed during Denmark’s opening Euro 2020 match against Finland last summer and subsequently had to be fitted with an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD).
