MOSCOW, March 31 (R-Sport) - A quick-thinking Georgian footballer was credited Monday with saving an unconscious opponent's life after providing first aid in a top-flight game in Ukraine.
Dynamo Kiev captain Oleh Husev was struck in the head by the opposing goalkeeper's knee during Sunday's game against fierce rivals Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, and lay unconscious on the pitch as Dnipro midfielder Jaba Kankava rushed to provide first aid.
Video footage shows Kankava using his fingers to clear Husev's airway before other players from both teams realize the danger and stop the game. Kankava later pulls away, clutching his hand in pain after apparently being bitten when Husev regained consciousness.
Husev was swiftly taken to hospital, where he was diagnosed with multiple severe injuries to the head and face, as well as damage to three teeth. Without Kankava's help, Husev would have died, a doctor treating him said.
"The Dnipro player saved Oleg's life," said Boris Radutsky, head of the clinic where Husev is recovering, in comments on the Dynamo website.
"If [the resuscitation] had been later, I don't know what the consequences would have been. The Dnipro player did everything like a highly-qualified ambulanceman."
Husev and Kankava are both well-known players in Eastern Europe and stalwarts for their respective national teams. Husev, 30, has played 91 times for Ukraine and is the fourth most-capped player in the country's history, while Kankava, 28, has 45 caps for Georgia.
