Ivory Coast defender Serge Aurier saved the life of Mali forward Moussa Doumbia during their World Cup qualifying clash at Bouake on Saturday. Doumbia was knocked unconscious in a challenge with Sunderland's Lamine Kone after which Aurier intervened to stop the Rostov player swallowing his tongue.
Mali's manager Alain Giresse added that he spoke to Aurier after the game to thank him for his quick reaction which saved the Mali forward's life. "All the players realised that Doumbia was choking and was about to swallow his tongue. That's when Aurier, with one of our players, quickly put him on his side and pulled out his tongue, because he was about to lose his life," Giresse told.
However, Aurier, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain, later caused controversy by making a throat-slit gesture towards the crowd after his scored the third goal in the 3-1 victory.
Aurier has a history of being in the news for all the wrong reasons. In September, he was sentenced to two months in jail for elbowing a police officer, but remains free pending an appeal. In February, he was suspended by Paris St-Germain after insulting then-coach Laurent Blanc with homophobic language and he once called teammate Angel Di Maria a clown.
Nonetheless, his action to save another player’s life was indeed a noble gesture, regardless to his colorful past.