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PSG’s Serge Aurier “saves life” of Mali player

Cote D'Ivoire v Japan: Group C - 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil

RECIFE, BRAZIL - JUNE 14: Serge Aurier of the Ivory Coast during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group C match between the Ivory Coast and Japan at Arena Pernambuco on June 14, 2014 in Recife, Brazil. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

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Serge Aurier’s quick-thinking helped Mali’s Moussa Doumbia in a perilous on-field situation.

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On Saturday the Ivory Coast beat Mali 3-1 in Bouake in a 2018 World Cup qualifier, but a harrowing incident occurred 20 minutes into the match with Mali leading 1-0.

Sunderland defender Lamine Kone collided with Doumbia and the latter was knocked unconscious.
That is when Aurier’s instincts kicked in as Mali’s manager Alain Giresse called the PSG defender a life-saver on French radio station RMC as he helped stop Doumbia from swallowing his own tongue.

“All the players realized that Doumbia was choking and was about to swallow his tongue,” Giresse said. “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.”

Despite his heroic actions Aurier did cause some unrest late in the game as he used a throat-slitting gesture when celebrating the Ivory Coast’s third goal.

Aurier has had his recent troubles off the pitch too after being suspended by PSG last season for appearing to hurl offensive comments at then manager Laurent Blanc and last month he was handed a two-month prison sentence by French police (he’s currently appealing it) after being charged with striking a police officer.

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