Medical staff rushed to assist an injured cameraman who was caught up in a collision with Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov during the World Cup encounter between Colombia and Uzbekistan. The incident unfolded live on television in the 34th minute of the match.
Khusanov was pursuing the ball alongside Luis Diaz. The defender arrived second best, resulting in a collision between the pair which sent Khusanov careering into the unsuspecting cameraman. The City defender was unhurt and quickly made his way to his feet. He was issued a yellow card for the challenge.
However, the cameraman remained on the turf. He appeared to be clutching his leg as assistance arrived. Medical personnel promptly attended to him. While no update has been provided regarding the severity of the injury, commentator Jacqui Oatley, working for American broadcaster FOX Sports, offered the latest during the second half.
"In case you're wondering about the cameraman, he's disappeared. He must've really hurt his ankle," Oatley said.
The incident occurred mere minutes before Colombia broke the deadlock, with Daniel Munoz finding the net in the 40th minute. Uzbekistan drew level in the second half through Abbosbek Fayzullaev. Yet the scoreline remained tied for just five minutes before Diaz put Colombia back in front. Jaminton Campaz then wrapped up all three points for Colombia in the ninth minute of stoppage time.
The victory sends Colombia to the top of group K, following the earlier 1-1 stalemate between Portugal and DR Congo. The group's next fixtures see Portugal take on Uzbekistan on June 23 at 6pm and Colombia face DR Congo on June 24 at 3am.
The cameraman incident was not the only cause for concern, with Oatley revealing that co-commentator Warren Barton sustained a cut to the head after being struck by a hurled bottle during the match. It has also been confirmed that there is no lasting damage to the England international.
