World Cup goal triggers marriage proposal by Siberian doctor

Russia is hosting one of the most exciting FIFA World Cup tournaments in years - even if none of the games are further east than Yekaterinburg. 

The medic - originally from Khakassia - was at the Kazan match with his Colombian girlfriend who had travelled half way around the world to study medicine in Tomsk.

He decided to wait until Colombia scored against Poland before proposing in the packed stand. 

Only after 40 minutes did Yerry Mina net the first of three for his country against Poland. 

Immediately, he took out a red box with a ring, and asked for her hand in marriage.

'I said yes!', said Karen.

'You know, I speechless. I cried! 

'I love football, so we decided to go to the World Cup matches. And here it is.'

The groom-to-be said: ‘We've been talking about a wedding for a long time….

'The wedding will be in Cartagena in February and we also plan to celebrate it in Russia.'

The pair first met at the cinema watching ‘The Fall of London’.

Karen came to Russia to study at the Siberian State Medical University in Tomsk.

'I chose Russia, because I wanted to get a good education,' she said.

'Then I met Sergei. He's a paediatrician, I'm a traumatologist. 

'I do not know exactly when I fell in love with him. 

'At the beginning my Russian was very poor, much worse than now. 

'He helped me, I felt comfortable and safe next to Sergei. 

'He introduced me to Russian culture, helped me to get used to people. 

'At first we were friends, but then some new feeling sparked.’

Despite this, she confessed;: ‘He's is not very romantic, so his proposal surprised me.’

Sergei had graduated earlier from the same university. 

Now he works as a doctor in the Children's City Hospital No. 2 in Tomsk.

Both are in their 20s.