Francis Koné is pretty busy these days. In addition to playing for the 1. FC Slovacko soccer team, he has saved four lives in the soccer world during his eight-year career. Most recently, Koné’s team was versing Bohemians 1905 in Prague, when the defender collided with the goalie from the opposite team. While the defender got up, the goalie was lying on his back, unconscious. Koné’s quick thinking led him to open the goalie’s mouth and hold his tongue to make sure he didn’t swallow it. He made sure the airways were clear and stayed alongside the goalie’s teammates until he regained consciousness.
When Koné was first starting out in professional soccer, he aided a teammate who collapsed in the gym in Thailand. Another time, a player crashed into a goalkeeper then fell onto his neck. Koné made sure to get his tongue out of his mouth until medics came to help. A similar occurrence happened while Koné was in Africa in 2015. Talk about some good luck—or is it bad luck?